


It Knocks at Your Door...

by SarcasticallyGenuine, TooObsessedForMyOwnGood



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: 1000+ words a chapter, 15 years old (Sans and Reader), 8 years old (Papyrus), Angst, Anxiety, Bad Jokes, Bad Parenting, Big Brother Sans, Caretaker Gerson, Child Neglect, Cinnamon Roll Papyrus, Depression, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting to Know Each Other, Going through the motions, Homelessness, Hope, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Minor Sans (Undertale)/Reader, Nicknames, Occasional puns, Occasional/Implied Cursing, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Sans, Slow Burn, Sorry if I'm bad at certain stuff, Souls, T_T, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Weekly Updates, kids on their own, rough childhood, strange town
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-06-19 07:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15505014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarcasticallyGenuine/pseuds/SarcasticallyGenuine, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooObsessedForMyOwnGood/pseuds/TooObsessedForMyOwnGood
Summary: You're a girl who, for the most part, knows how to take care of yourself. After all, it's how you were raised... per say. You can feed yourself, clean up after yourself and others nicely, you can even buy things for yourself when you're allowed the money! So, after meeting a skeleton around the same age as you who was barely making it on their own... you decide to take matters into your own hands and help change this boys life for the better. Though, you weren't expecting things to be taken so far... and you'd be lying if you said you weren't enjoying your time with him. Just... don't mind the depression. It tends to follow you wherever you go.





	1. The Boy with No Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you help out the boy with no body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to take on another book! I really like where this one is going, and I've already made a nice outline! I hope you enjoy!

You stare as the workers begin messing around with the neon-lit sign above the convenience store. Their gruff figures matching their concentrated looks. Wearing hardhats, t-shirts, and jeans. You sigh, shaking your head and heading into the store. You may get a struggle when it comes to getting money for anything but food... But at least they allowed you to have money for your meds. That... was enough for you. As you walked in, a small bell rang, signaling your arrival at the store. Inside, the room was lined with small isles of snacks, canned foods, drinks, makeup, toiletries, and much more. It was your average corner store really.

“Good evening Miss Y/N!” You turn your head instinctively at the sound of your name. You smirk, seeing the familiar face of Mr. Finnic. Mr. Finnic is the manager of the corner store. He mainly operates at the pharmacy center of the building though. Your parents use to bring you to get the meds, so your family knew him as a friend. Or, at least you do now. “Mr. Finnic! Good evening.” I say. He was standing on a little step ladder, fixing some mixed up items on the shelves. He comes down to approach you. “Just on time, as usual!” He motions you to follow him to the pharmaceutical counter. There was a big, white and red sign that read ‘Pharmacy and Check-Out’ in large letters.

Mr. Finnic goes behind the marbled counter, clicking around on his fancy computer of his. Though, it was really nothing compared to your fathers. But your father never let you even look at his computer with a look he would consider wrong. You got over it quickly. “I’m always on time!” I give him a warm smile. Mr. Finnic was a little old. He just recently turned 64. You weren’t able to afford anything, so you made him a little pie as a present. “That’s a good thing. Being on time to things is important.” He walked into the back. A place you’d always grown curious of. So many pills, creams, and liquids. A few nice lab coats for the employees and latex rubber gloves. It was all very interesting to think about.

You hear the bell again, and you curiously turn around. Peeking over an isle, you see a skeleton boy beginning to look through snacks. His clothes were a little dirty, but he didn’t phase you. Monsters were everywhere in this town. You have even befriended a monster or two before.  
“Almost done! Just let me put something into the records...” The older man returns, gazing around at the bright screen. Not a moment later, the boy walks up behind you to wait in line. He only had one thing in his hand from what you could tell, but you know better than to stare.

“And here we are!” He hands you a little white baggy with the usual instructions and pamphlets stapled to it. “Have a nice evening!” He waves to you as you turn around, waving back. You catch a glimpse of the skeleton. He had lights for pupils, the rest just voids of black. His skull was far more rounded off then any humans would be. He was almost as tall as you. Only an inch or less short. Hard to tell specifically really. But, you also catch the sight of items stuffed in his jacket pockets and in his shorts. He wasn’t very sneaky about it. You were only able to see the top of a toothbrush in sight. You stop at the sound of a heavy sigh. He’d already been caught, too.

Clearly, he was new to this. “I’m afraid you are going to have to pay for ALL of it, young man.” Mr. Finnic looks to him. You look away, only listening now. “i-i’m sorry. i just... all i have is this 5.” No... Y/N... it’s not your business. He’ll survive... maybe.  
“Well, then I’m going to have to ask you to hand over the rest of what you cannot pay for.”  
“p-please! i need this and-” Don’t. You only have 15 left. You were going to use that for your next pair of shoes. Yours are pretty much done for. You stare thoughtfully at your rough looking sneakers. “I’m sorry, kid. Rules are rules.” You hear a sad sigh. “o-okay... i’m sorry to trouble you...” He really needs it, doesn’t he? A toothbrush... meaning he doesn’t have one. What kinda kid doesn’t have a toothbrush? A homeless one. Or one like you, maybe. You sigh, turn around and scrounge around in your wallet. “Wait!” I say, just before the kid starts handing his items over. “Here.” I hand him my ten and five. “w-what?” he seemed surprised. “You need it more than me. Take it.” I waved the bills in front of him.

He gawks at the green slips of important paper a moment. “i-i don’t want to take your money.” Poor kid. Doesn’t have the soul to try and steal from the guy seriously. I’ve had to do it every now and then. I know what it’s like. I sigh and hand Mr. Finnic the money. I’ll be paying for what he has.” Mr. Finnic gives you a sympathetic smile, nods, then takes it from you. “Let me see all your items so I can scan them.” The kid stops a moment, then takes all the items out from his clothing. So, Mr. Finnic does the scanning and puts your new shoes money in the register, pulling out three dollars and two pennies. “You can keep the change. I won’t have much use for it.” You give the skeleton boy a small smile. “th-thank you! you have no idea how greatly you’ve helped me...” he mumbles the last bit.

“Have a nice day you two!” Mr. Finnic disappears into the isles of medicine in the back.  
I start walking out the door, ready to come up with a plan to get some money for the shoes. But, the boy had other plans. Once you reach the sidewalk he shouts out to you. “w-wait! where are you going?” You turn back to him. I smile. “To my house, it’s almost time for dinner.” he looks to the pavement sheepishly. His eye lights unsure of his own thoughts. “oh... right. well, thank you...” He wanted your name. “Y/N! Don’t forget it!” I say, slowly walking backward. “my names sans! thank you, y/n!” You don’t respond. Just... smile and wave.

_ _ _

The sunset was in place now as you approached the old screen door. Your grass was un-mowed, as your parents did little work around here. The main doors paint was chipping off, but it’s been like that for years. You pull out your keys from the left-hand pocket, unlocking the front door so you could enter. The screen door made a squeaking noise of pain as it shut behind you. You kept only a couple keys. The house key - front and back - and a key to your lockbox. You usually kept valuables in there. Money, photos, memorable items... That’s where it’s kept. Your parents don’t ever bother with anything of yours. But, they hardly ever bother with you either.

You don’t announce that you are home, as you’ve found that it doesn’t change anything. You shut the main door, taking your scuffed and broken shoes at the door. The living room holds no one. It looks almost untouched besides the occasional wrapper or soda can and sometimes dust. You make your way into the kitchen, which also holds no one inside. It’s clean for the most part, except lots of dishes were piled up in - and around - the sink.

You sigh but don’t go to those just yet. You can hear your father laughing upstairs, and the sounds of his game being played. That’s what he always does. Play video games, eat, sleep and occasionally go out to his friends or bars. You stuff your keys back into your hoodie pockets and make your way in the back area. The bathroom down there was almost always untouched by everyone but you. Your bedroom was back there, unlike your parents. There are only four rooms upstairs... The master bedroom, the master bathroom, the guest room, and the office. Though, for your dad, it’s more like the game room.

You rarely bother cleaning that place up unless you’re doing a full house clean. Those only happened once a month. Downstairs held the kitchen, the living room, the entrance hall, a bathroom, your bedroom, and the laundry room. You head toward the laundry room to check on the laundry. You only ever do your own laundry and linen. Your mother does the rest. But, that’s just her clothes and your fathers. It appears she grabbed her own, leaving your dirty ones in the basket. Laundry was about the only thing she does around the house. Everything else is supposed to go to your father, but it somehow landed on you many years ago. Your mother is barely home. Especially at night. During the day, she’s either at home doing... whatever it is she does in her room. But in the evening, she goes off to other men's house for money. Your father doesn’t care. She barely acknowledges your existence.

You hit the biggest button on the machine, and the annoying sounds begin to emit from the washer. You then make your way to your bedroom, taking your wallet and keys from the both of your pockets, setting them down along with my prescription bag. You start thinking about the boy at the corner store. Yeah, definitely homeless. Had to be. Or at least, extremely broke. You understood entirely. You were lucky enough to have working water and a roof over your head.  
That’s mainly why you stuck around this place. For shelter. Not for your parents. If you could really call them that.

You wonder if he has anyone. Maybe a parent or guardian. Is he like you? He was a monster... and it isn’t uncommon for monsters to be seen in rags and in cardboard boxes or dumpy apartments. Integrating into the human world is a tough challenge. Especially on your own. No matter the species. You sit on your bed, letting the thoughts wander in your mind. If he is alone, it would be an irony that a boy with nobody would have No Body. A small, sad smirk comes to your lips briefly. Poor boy. Don’t know how far my $3.02 would get him though. Hopefully something useful. “Be back at 10.” You hear your mothers voice ring throughout the halls, echoing to each room. By 10, she means in the morning. It’s already 7:30, and your mother is never out in that short amount of time unless she’s running basic errands. That doesn’t happen too often. And definitely not at seven at night. With a heavy sigh, you make your way out into the kitchen again, ready to take on the dishes.


	2. The Isles that Never End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which your mother takes you for a trip to the grocery store where you meet that familiar face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know in the tags it says weekly, but that's pretty much a deadline type of thing. If I finish the chapter earlier than usual, don't be surprised! I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Being kind seems to be leading you into all kinds of strange situations. It all started with your conscious nagging on you to help the bone boy. Now? Now you were finding yourself helping the woman that gave birth to you go grocery shopping while your father was out doing who knows what. It was odd. She had come into your room for once in a long time, then told you she needed to go shopping and that she wanted you to come along for assistance. You couldn’t help but stare at her in amazement. You weren’t sure if it was something you’d done or said. But, you hadn’t done anything different than normal. You sat in the passenger seat of your mothers gray SUV, watching out the window. 

Every once in a while, her eyes would gaze to the back of your head. You could see it in the glass. But, it didn’t last long, as she had to keep her attention toward the road. The trip was quick since the store was only about 7 minutes away by car. The both of you got out silently and walked to the entrance. There were cars lined up in rows of different models, colors, and shapes. So diverse. “The list is about normal size. Won’t be here any longer than an hour or so, okay?” She says with exhaustion in her tone. You nod. The doors automatically slide open as you get closer to it. The store is brightly lit, and you can smell the foods from the Deli and Baking section. The scent was nice. You barely get to eat too many sweets, not that you really have a need to. Your gaze shifts from the fresh food to the Isles of less healthy options. 

You’ve been on shopping trips with your mother before. The reason this trip surprised you was because of the way she phrased it. Like she needed me for once. It was... nice in its own way. Your thoughts are interrupted by a piece of paper being put in your face. “I’ll get half, you get half. Deal?” She turns to me with those thoughtful eyes. You nod once more, grabbing the list. “No dilly-dallying.” You hear your mother say as she walks off after grabbing a cart. You stare down at the list she’s handed to you. There weren’t too many items for you to get. None too big, You could get a smaller cart. 

You lay the list in the top half of the pint-sized cart, then begin rolling it toward the first nearest Isle. According to the sign, this was the chips and drinks row. You need two cases of Mountain Dew and a bag of Ruffles. Easy enough. You grip the metal cart, listening to the squeaking of the tires. Finding the sodas, you heave them onto the cart as best as possible, hanging the packs of eight over the edges to preserve space. You scan the Isle, finding the last bag of Ruffles that your father likes. Thank god you got to the last one in time! 

A few rows later, you get about halfway through your list. Next, you need a jar of dill pickles. Okay... You let out a sigh. You look over the Isle, trying to find the right ones. You stop the cart, finding all the pickles. You gaze over, halfway using your hands to help, hoping to find the right brand. “um... need some help, stranger?” You jump a little, turning toward the sudden voice. Once your eyes communicate with your brain, you recognize the familiar face. “Uh... I-I just...” Such a way with words, Y/N! “Pickles.” You blurt out. He had caught you off-guard. He motions to the pickle jars in front of you. “I-I mean... jeez...” You stop a moment to gather your thoughts. “Sorry, um... dill... pickles.” You bite at the inside of my cheek a little. You hadn’t meant to stutter or anything. You watch his expressions, staring over the plentiful amount of jars. “Vlasic brand name,” I add. While he’s preoccupied, you notice what he’s wearing. It’s the store's usual apron and uniform. 

He walks a little way down the Isle, picking up the step stool. He places it on the white, tiled floors. Stepping on, he reaches for one of the top jars, successfully grabbing it and stepping down as well. He hands it to you with that sewn on smile of his. “Thanks...” You say, placing it in the cart carefully. “So, you work here... Sans?” You recall his name. He looked a little nervous and tired. No, wait, very tired. “yeah. it uh... helps me out.” he says, stuffing his hands in his apron pockets. You nod understandingly. “didn’t think i'd ever see you again.” he changes the subject and starts walking with you.

“i also didn’t expect to see you here by yourself... where're your parents?” The both of you turn the corner as you stare down at the piece of paper. “Wow...” I say, quirking my eyebrows slightly, still beaming at the list. “That’s an incredibly presumptuous question.” And it was true in a couple ways. “uh... sorry... are you... alone here?” he fumbles with his words carefully. “No...” He was really confused. “is... is it because i asked where your parents are?” He says to you in a whisper. You chuckle. “I have parents. Relax. My mother is here. I’m just helping.” You shrug. You hadn’t been expecting to be chatting your way through Grocery Store Isles today. Especially not with the stranger you met a couple days ago. 

“oh. heh. well, that’s good.” He seemed almost a little sad at that. Wait... did he not have parents? So, he really was alone. Or... maybe he’s just got a different guardian. You’re assuming too much Y/N... “I guess.” You don’t put more context behind that response. You grab a pack of Chips Ahoy and stuff it into the bottom half of your cart. “ I thought about getting a part-time job. But I have too much to do around the house. Wouldn’t have the time along with homeschooling.” Your mother put you in online school a while back. It was a public online, so it didn’t cost. Just made things easier for her. 

“you're doing homeschooling? your mom teach ya?” he asks, peeking over at your list. You shake your head almost immediately. “Stars no! It’s an online thing. Though, I’m not sure how much longer it’s going to last. I hope it does though. I don’t really wanna walk from the public school to home. Too far.” You admit, turning another corner. “if it’s that far wouldn’t someone just have to pick you up?” Wow, he had a lot of questions. “Nope.” You respond simply. “Time is of the essence, my friend.” You wink at him to add flavor to the joke. He does chuckle a little. “So... how’s that toothbrush treating you?” I ask him, changing the topic away from you. He just gives you a strange look. “w-what?” You laugh a little, picking up a pack of stove-made Ramen. “You know... the one I paid for?” His eye sockets widen, then he laughs sheepishly. “o-oh... right. it’s good...” He says staring down at the ground.

“I know what it’s like, you don’t have to keep giving the floor sad looks,” I say with a small smirk. His head shoots to meet your eyesight. “what does that-”  
“My parents barely acknowledge I’m alive.” I stop rolling the cart after putting the last item on the list in the cart. “I clean the house, I cook for myself, I get my own medicine when I need it. I haven’t been raised, just been living under their roof like I’m some free-loader.” His eyes were thoughtful, and you could tell that he was all ears. Ironically, of course. 

“You just don’t have the money for things. I get it. I know how that feels because half the time I pay for my own stuff. So, don’t think you’re slick about your situation.” You say. He seemed to be processing your words, and you crumple up the list, shoving it in your pocket. It’s no longer of use. “It’s okay...” Your voice goes softer and quieter. “We just keep going. That’s... all we can do.” You take a deep breath and he chuckles sadly. “yeah... pretty much.” And with that, it grows silent between the two of you. “I... better get going. My mom is probably done by now.” I gesture somewhere beyond the never-ending Isles. “right... and i have a job to get back to.” he says. You both wait. But when you start walking off to escape the awkward situation, he grabs your arm. You look to him. At first, he seems to not know what he was going to say. As if the words had been erased from his memory the moment his eyes locked with yours. 

He let’s go. “just... take care of yourself.” A smirk rises to your face. “of course...” You nod. And before walking off, you gave him a kind smile and said, “You too, Short stack.” You give him a wink of good sportsmanship. His cheekbones recall a blue hue, leaving you with a warm feeling from the sudden color to his skull. I start walking away and hear, “we’re practically the same height!” You could only chuckle and continue on toward the check out lines to find your mother.


	3. The Place that Doesn't Yet Feel Like Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Reader meets up with her close friend, then prepares a meal for two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is MUCH longer than the last two! I had a lot to cover, so this one took a little longer. I finally got the time and patience to read over this chapter so I could post it!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!!

Staring down at your flip phone, you watched the time go by just sitting on your bed. Today was the day you meet up with Fuku, your friendly flaming companion. You loved saying that...  
Fuku is really your only friend around this town. She’s a monster, but neither of you mind the difference in species. You find that it shouldn’t matter what you look like, as long as you treat others with a kindness. Anyway, enough being sappy.

You and Fuku always meet up for at least a few hours - starting at four in the afternoon - to just catch each other up on life and just be kids. She’s a good relief from the tedious life with your parents. Your alarm suddenly goes off, signaling that it is finally four o’clock. A smile comes to your face, and you swiftly grasp your backpack. She lives in the neighborhood, so the walk would be brief. She’s even told you that almost everytime, you show up at 4:03 on the dot. It’s a small quirk of yours to never be late for things. Being on time, as Mr. Finnic had announced, was a good thing. If you weren’t on time to this little meeting of yours, Fuku says she would inform her father that something was wrong.

The neighborhood was quiet, for the most part. There were several houses that were slightly un-kept and old. They weren’t awful, but they weren’t the best either. There were usually very few houses that people actually had tended to nicely. Maybe one or two at most. Three is pushing their luck though. The birds would chirp every once in a while and the sound of the occasional car could be heard by the main road. Parts of the pavement below you were cracked in certain places, reminding you that the government still has yet to do anything about them. You sighed, bringing your gaze forward. You see Fuku, waiting on her front step, staring down at something. Her father outside with her, seemingly invested in something in the ground. Once the dots connected in your mind, you remembered that her father keeps those little flowers in the front.   
When you first heard he gardened, you almost couldn’t believe it.

You begin jogging your way toward them, and Grillby - her father - notices you before Fuku does. He waves politely toward you as you reach their fence. “Hi, Mr. Fire!” You wave back with a small smile. Grillby has always been silent for some reason, but monsters can understand him. Only humans hear silence. You found it strange but just summed it up to magic. Fuku finally looks up from, what appears to be, a book. “Y/N! Come here!” You walk over and plop down right beside her on the steps. “What’s up?” I ask as she grips the book tightly with an excitement.   
“So... I was thinking...” She starts. “Oh no, call the fire department...!” You joke, and she just shoves your shoulder playfully. 

“Oh shush!” She says, then continues to her seemingly exciting news. “What if you and I started a group?” You tilt your head to the side like a dog trying to understand humans words. “A group? For what?” She looks back at her book, thinking about her words. “A group for outcasts, per say.” The words seemed thoughtful. Not only that, but they hid context. “And... you’re an outcast?” You question. She sighs. “I mean, I am a monster! This town may not be big, but that doesn’t mean monsters are completely liked here.” She begins using hand gestures, her flames crackling slightly. 

Oh, boy... “...who was it today?” You ask in a low tone. Fuku has bullies and mistreatment every once in a while. Sometimes, if you find them in public... You cause a little trouble for them. Of course, you’ve never gone as far as to get into any physical fights. You’ve only done that once, let’s just say both parties were pretty badly injured. “Y/N! No! You are not going to hunt this person down and ruin their day!” She crosses her arms. You hold up a hand, ready to defend yourself.  
“Listen, I do not hunt them down, okay? I just keep a list, and if I see them at some point...” You pause for dramatic effect, “...and then I ruin their day.” She just chuckles and shakes her head. “Besides, nothing a little pinch in the you-know-what would do but teach a lesson.” You lean back, using your palms to keep yourself up. She rolls her eyes. “Now... Tell me!” You say. She sighs. “It was that David kid.” You quirk your eyebrow. 

“Again? Alright, fine. Little punk.” You give off a tough look, making Fuku giggle.   
After a moment, she leans back with you as well, leaving the book in her lap loosely. “But, I’m still serious about starting this group.” You bring your eyes away from the green fire girl, looking out at the sky as the clouds slowly - but surely - pass by. “I just... think a lot of good could come out of it.” You watch a nearby bee buzz by to the closest, pollinated flower. You keep your gaze to the insect, thinking about her words. “Like... a safe haven. I get it. But...” You let your gaze tear away from the bee once it leaves the flower. The buzzing sound growing softer and softer by the second. 

“How would you even go about that? I mean, this isn’t a school funded kinda thing.” You look back to Fuku with a questioning look on your face. “We just... add members that we think might be considered an outcast? That doesn’t seem like it would go over well.” You smirk. “Hi, excuse me, you look like a tortured soul with no friends, wanna come to be with other losers?” She full on laughs. You get a satisfaction from making others laugh. It’s like getting a metal. “No! Gosh no!” She waves her hands around wildly. “I mean... okay sort of but not that blunt!” She points at you, and you just laugh. 

“Well then, you better find a new name for it. Because sometimes being outright called an outcast might be that kind of blunt.” You say as your laugh dies down. She nods. “Definitely.” Then, she stands, grabbing the book and pulling it to her chest. “Dad, we’re going inside now!” She says, turning to the orange flame monster. He turns to us just as you stand up as well. He nods and gives you both a thumbs up. Sometimes you really wish you could understand his words. You really wonder what his voice is like. The both of you make your way upstairs to her bedroom. It was filled with posters, stickers, pillows... It’s the room you’d always wished you had. Now, you know that wouldn’t be able to happen. At least, not for a while. “I... actually have someone I think I want to invite once we have everything set up!” She says. If she had a mouth, it would be in a smile. 

“Oh? And who is this mysterious person?” You drop your bag right beside her bed, then sit down on the mattress. It squeaked a little under the pressure of your body. “Well... his name is Nabstablook. He’s a ghost!” She places the book she was reading into her teal bookshelf. “I’m intrigued... go on!” You kick your shoes off, setting them next to your bag. “Well, he’s a little shy to new people. He isn’t very loud either. But, he loves music! And he’s pretty mellow.” She seemed excited at the idea of this club thing. 

You had to admit, the idea of a club dedicated to troubled souls was... nice. For you two at least. Having friends would be even nicer. Well, besides each other, that is. “I think we should add him to the list of candidates.” You say. “Oh, there’s a list now?” She says, gasps, then turn to her small desk, grabbing a notebook from one of the stacks of papers. Fuku was always a good student. Pretty much always has A’s. Being on summer break has its perks though. She grabs a spare pen, then begins writing down the name ‘Nabstablook’ in its blue ink. The color brings back a face to match. 

Oh... do you think...? Would he like something like that?  
Sans was perfect for the job description. Though, you aren’t sure how available he could be. He does, after all, work. Honestly, you should too. But, not many people hire your age anymore. Sans must have gotten lucky or something. “I... think I may have someone. Since we’re doing this suggestion thing...” You trail off shyly. She looks to you, beaming. “His name... is Sans.” She sits down beside you. She seems to think on just his name for a moment. “He’s pretty nice. He’s... kinda like me I suppose.” You didn’t want to tell Fuku his life story or anything, not that you knew it. Exposing too much might not make Sans comfortable. He seemed pretty intent on hiding it from you... “He has to work so he can afford some things. He’s a skeleton. And he’s pretty outcasted if I do say so myself.” You sit criss-cross on the bed to get more comfortable. She nods, then you watch her write his name on the sheet of paper. “I’ll add him! Though, I have to ask... Since when do you socialize...?” You push her lightly. 

“I socialize!!” 

. . .

“Sometimes...”

. . .

“Look, I just loaned him some money okay? Plus, I got to talk with him on other occasions.” You move the conversation along. She chuckles, then closes the pen inside the notebook. “You loaned him money?” Oh... bad topic maybe? “Um... yeah. Seemed like he needed it more than me.” You shrug, looking over at the window to avoid her gaze. “Right well... Is he like, your friend now?” That question struck you as difficult. Were you? “I mean, I think it’s more like acquaintances right now. I’m sure I’ll see him again.” You confirm out loud. She scoots herself back against the wall, looking over to you with those little black dots for eyes. “It’s strange... His name sounds familiar. I think my father has mentioned him once or something. I don’t know.” Now it was her turn to shrug. “Anyway, we need a name for this thing, right?” You decide to stray the conversation from the poor skeleton. “Oh, yeah!” She pipes up. You were thankful she took the bait. “I was thinking something like ‘The Together Club’.” You cringe. “Well, that was cheesy as all get out.”  
She sighs. “It’s a work-in-progress...”

_ _ _

The music rang out through your earbuds as you walked back down the street toward your house. It was one of those older songs that you just couldn’t quit. Gets you in a good mood too. Your mind was swirling trying to figure out a name for this club idea of Fuku’s. It seemed like all her ideas were either too corny, just really plain or blunt. I couldn’t come up with too many. Mine were just... Well, blunt.

It was about 6:30 now, so you should probably eat something once you get home.  
Macaroni sounded good and quick for tonight. 

. . .

You keep going back to the skeleton. You want to help him out. You at least had a decent roof over your head. Of course, you weren’t sure what his living situation is. Would he appreciate some food? I mean, if he has a job then he clearly has some money to afford food... Duh.  
But, extra food never hurts... right? Oh~! Now you were excited to be making a meal for more than just you. In that case, should you change the meal to something else? Sure, Macaroni and cheese were quick... but something with a bit more flavor and pizazz would be nice! Though, you don’t have much to work with. Maybe... I’ll make the Macaroni AND make some mashed potatoes! Or... should you find a meat instead? Do you even OWN a meat?!

Okay, whoa... Calm down there Y/N. You sighed and realized you had been standing right in front of your front door. You blink a few times, then make your way inside. When you walk in, the first thing you hear is the sound of arguing. Your mother and father are right there in the living room, arguing. It stops when the door shuts behind you. They both stop to look at you. You stare back, but for just a moment. You didn’t really have time for whatever the heck they were fighting about this time. You had a meal to cook. And you’d make more than plenty to bring over. 

You walk past them, into the kitchen. It was dark at first, so you turn on the lights to a - thankfully - clean room. You skip over to the fridge, opening it. The lights flickered on, revealing the food. You grab the milk, knowing you’ll need it for both the macaroni and potatoes. You scan the fridge for a meat of some kind. You find the chicken your mother snagged a few days ago from the store and smile. It’s perfect. You’ll bake the chicken, make some instant potatoes, and add in the Macaroni and cheese. 

You hear chatting begin in the living room, but it isn’t the violent arguing from before.  
You were thankful for that too. You hated trying to concentrate on something when they do that. It’s annoying, especially considering the walls are made of paper pretty much. You stop a minute, realizing something. You have no idea where Sans even lives. You would hope he isn’t working at this time. You’ll just have to stop by there. If he isn’t there, you’ll ask the manager or a co-worker about it. Hopefully, you find him. Because you’d be lying if you said you weren’t excited to be making dinner for someone else besides yourself.

So, you got to work immediately. You worked for about an hour and a half to two hours preparing everything. By the end, the chicken was nice and tender looking absolutely delicious, the macaroni was nice and hot, and the mashed potatoes looked so nice and creamy. You would scarf it down now if you weren’t on a mission to end your lonely dinner escapade. Haha... That sounded sad.

You shook yourself out of your thoughts, then you put the food in storage containers. You had a bike with a basket in it, so you’ll use that since time is against you at the moment. Even if he’s already eaten or something, you still think it would be a nice gift. You turn off the kitchen lights, making your way past your mother, who is now alone in the living area. You reach the door, containers in hand, but are stopped by her voice. “Where are you going?” I took a deep breath. “A friends.” You answer, then open the front door. “Are you lying?” You stop once more. You REALLY didn’t have time for this. “Why do you care?” You spoke before she could. “You never did before, just leave me alone.” You exit the house, practically jogging over to the bike on the lawn. You set the food carefully in the basket, securing it as much as possible. You remove the bike from the grass, then hop on it with a running start. Maybe, just maybe... you could have someone to enjoy the food you made with. And even if not, it’s the thought that counts, right? 

_ _ _

By the time you make it to the store, your panting slightly from the amount of pedaling you were doing. You got there in about the time you would in a car. Maybe slightly longer. You run in quickly, not wanting your bike or food to be stolen. You walk up to the first register there, seeing a woman about the age of twenty-something. “Excuse me!” You say. She looks down at you. “Do you know where I could find someone by the name of Sans?” She purses her lips. “Actually, he’s in the back. He just clocked out for the day.” She points to the back room door. And right as she does, he walks right out in his regular clothes. A smile reaches your lips. “Thank you!” You say and run up to him, panting. “I *huff* I came to *huff*” you were having trouble getting your words out.

“whoa. uh... Y/N, something wrong?” He looked like he was immediately on guard. You nod your head with a smile. First, you gather your breath, eventually spitting it out. “There is a big issue!” You grab his shoulder. “I made way too much food and I need you to help me eat it.” He takes a minute, then laughs. You let go of him and make your way outside. You can hear him following you at a normal pace. You reach your bike with Sans behind you. Seeing nothing stolen, you sigh in relief. 

“okay, be truthful with me. did you make too much on purpose.” You grin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!” You cross your arms. He has a happy look on him. A genuine one. Yes! That was what you wanted! “well, i appreciate it... a lot.” Your smile grows. You were just in a really good mood today! “So, you’ll eat with me?” You ask, just to make sure. He chuckles, nodding his head. You sigh and say, “Good because you have no idea how hard it was to catch you before you went back to wherever you live.” You shove your hands in your pockets. “oh yeah, guess you don’t really know where i live huh?” You just shake your head in response. “well, come on, let’s go to my place. it ain’t too far from here. just a few minutes.” He winks at you, and you follow his lead.

It felt weird to be walking down the street with someone besides Fuku. She’s been your friend for many years now. The first and - what you thought to be - the last. But, here you are, with a skeleton. “If you live nearby, you must live in the trailer park then, right?” It’s the closest housing area to us right now. You’d know because you use to have a lot of time to wander around. “yeah. it’s not the best home, but it’s a roof over our head.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. You begin to nod, but stop when you realize he said something peculiar. “Our...?” He stops in his place, and so do you. “uh... yeah....” He sighs. You shake your head, “It’s okay, You don’t have to tell me anything.” You simply shrug and keep going. He catches up quick. “ah... thanks. i know it sounds weird but-”

“You just wanna keep whoever it is safe?” You hear him sigh heavily. “anyway, what did ya make?” He looks to your basket with curious eyes. You bite at the inside of your cheek nervously. “Baked Chicken, Macaroni, and Mashed Potatoes.” His smile becomes slightly brighter. “wait, you baked chicken and biked it down here?” He laughs harder than you’d expect. You feel your cheeks heat up, kind of embarrassed. “s-sorry. sorry! i just...” He catches his breath. “i just never thought someone would do that just to share their food.” The both of you enter into the trailer park, walking past rows upon rows of small homes. “Well, I just thought you might appreciate it.” You shrug. “Plus it gives me the opportunity to not be so... bonely.” You stop, along with him, in front of one of the trailers. It’s once white color is now faded and covered in dirt and grime from over time. (I’m a poet and didn’t even know it ;P)

“ha! well, i understand that feeling pal.” His smile grows just slightly at your corny joke. Before you follow him up the wooden stairs, you rest your bike against the wall. Then, you grab the food. You wait patiently, watching him unlock the door. “tibia honest i’m really glad you wanted to.” Now you smile, along with a small snicker. Once the door opens, you wait for him to go in. Once you’re both inside, he shuts the door and you take in the scene. The place looked kind of un-kept. It didn’t help that the trailer itself was grubby looking, but the dishes were starting to get high up. “sorry the place isn’t... uh, clean or anything.” You hear him drop what sounds like keys onto a table nearby. “i don’t get much opportunity to clean, but i do when i get the time. plus, wasn’t expecting anyone over.” He walks back in with a shrug. You do the same back. 

“No big deal.” He lets out a sigh and starts pulling out two plates. As he does that, you notice something a brilliant, bright red catch your eye in the next room over. A piece of cloth. Looks to be a scarf. It looks cleaner than anything here. “let’s eat in the living room. comfier.” He explains and you nod in response. Following him into the room, he removes the red scarf from the seat next to him, putting it on the end table. He pats next to him on the cloth, brown sofa. You smirk as you walk over. You open the containers, and the both of you go to town on the food. Chatting about his time working at the grocery store and coming up with bad puns and wordplay. It was an evening you wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. “so...” he starts, eating a spoonful of mashed potatoes. “... you went from your house straight to the store?” You were about to say yes, but then Fuku comes to your head. “Well, my friends, then my house, then the store.” You correct. Fuku...

The club

How would you ask him if he wanted to join? It wasn’t really anything just yet. And right now it’s only two friends. Sans doesn't know Fuku, and he seems to have some trust issues. “Do you know Fuku Fire?” You ask, just finishing your meal. His non-existent brow quirks up. “fuku? like, grillby’s daughter? never actually met her formally. seen her around though. why?” He sets his - now - empty plate on top of yours. “Well, she’s my friend. And she recently decided to do this... club thingy.” You always were the best at explanations... not. “club... thingy...?” You sigh, “I mean, it’s not like an official group kinda thing. It’s pretty much a group of friends per say. Anyway....” You sit up and face him directly.   
“I... kinda sorta mentioned you... because I thought it might be nice.” He was about to speak out, probably saying no. “I-I know you wouldn’t have the time or want to. But, I figured I might as well ask.” 

He chuckles. “is it a posse?” You stop, then laugh. “I-I mean, ha! I guess so!” Your gaze drifts to the empty plates in thought. “i mean, i wouldn’t be able to attend any meetings or anything. don’t know if i would be a... ‘valued member’ there.” He says sheepishly. You stand up as he grabs the empty plates. “Yeah, that’s what I figured. It’s fine you don’t have to.” You wave your hands to make your point more clear. “just...” He stops in the doorway after setting the dishes on the counter. “leave me on the ‘maybe’ list.” He winks. You snort, “You’re the first person to be asked so...” He outs a hand to his chest. “i’m honored!” Your smile was incredibly high up. “I should get going then...” It falls suddenly. You weren’t sure you wanted to come home tonight. You basically disrespected your mom right before storming out in a rush. You knew neither of your parents would ever lay a hand on you.

But, there were times where you had to question that thought. Would they harm you? You wouldn’t think so. Stars you hoped not... You weren’t ready for that. “it was nice hanging out with ya. you make one heck of a chicken.” He winks, and you give a small smile in return. “Ha, thanks. Maybe I’ll cook for ya some other time.” You start walking toward the door. “ya not taking your leftovers?” He questions. You shake your head. “You can have the rest. Give it to your mystery roommate or something.” You smirk. “I’ll be seeing you?” You say. He smiles, other than his usual facade, and nods. “course! you know where to find me.” You really hope this skeleton stays in your life.


	4. The Sun and the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Reader and Sans sort through some midnight train of thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say thank you for all the nice comments! I love coming back to the site and reading your supportive comments! 
> 
> This chapter is a little bit of a filler, but the next one will be better!
> 
> Enjoy~!

When you had gotten home that night, your parents weren’t home. That left you to yourself and your thoughts.   
You weren’t sure what to do with yourself really. Everything was clean and in tip top shape. You had just eaten and even fed someone else. After all that? You got dressed in something comfier and went to bed.  
Or, you at least tried to anyway. You kept thinking about your encounter with Sans. Who does he live with? Why does he seem so protective of them? It has to be someone important. A close friend? A sibling? Maybe even a significant other?  
I mean, it isn’t uncommon to find young teenage couples. 

Whoever it was, it seemed they hadn’t been home tonight. Do they work too? Or, maybe they go to school if young enough? But then, why doesn’t Sans? Not to mention, it was pretty late at night for school. It was all a jumble of questions that didn’t actually matter in the end. Your eyes grew heavier by the minute. He must have a hard time financially though. And you weren’t lying about having that in common with him either. When things first started to get worse, you were pretty much trying to afford everything for yourself. That’s how you know how to pickpocket and steal... sadly enough. You didn’t like stealing from others. But, survival is rough out here. And if it means at least one more meal on the metaphorical table, then so be it. 

You found yourself shutting your eyes, keeping your brain still deep in thought.   
You don’t know much about finding a roof over your head or anything, but you can understand. Sometimes, hopefully, understanding is all one needs. Though, if you did have the money and opportunity, you’d help Sans. He and whoever he lives with deserve to give - and be given - their best shot. If only someone could give them the chance. 

This brought your mind toward Fuku’s club idea. Looking back on it, you understand what her intentions are more clear now. A safe haven, yes. A place for those in need and a chance to help one another, absolutely. Name ideas start seeping through your thoughts. Though, names weren’t the only thing the both of you would need. There was also a meeting place, a reasonable amount of members, a goal of some sort. Not to mention dates and times.  
But this is only if she’s dedicated to it. With the right amount of energy and time, she could start something amazing for the community of kids in the town. The idea of something like this fills you with something you hadn’t had in a while. 

*It fills you with Perseverance.

_ _ _

Sans’ POV

“hey, thanks again for watching him for me like this.” his skull nods in a way of showing appreciation. the apartment door held dogamy and sans’ brother. the skeleton looked sleepy from his long day with the old snowdin sentries. “It’s no problem at all! Just let us know if you ever need us to watch him again!” dogamy waves as he grabs his brother's hand. usually, he would have done a lot more over at the house before he got paps back. but, today he just needed to be home with his bro. even if he would be sound asleep by the time they both would get there. tomorrow was his day off. sometimes, he would use his day off for work anyway. others, he left that day for cleaning and keeping papyrus busy.

by the time the both of you get home, paps is in his arms sleeping peacefully. sans sighs, walking into papyrus’ bedroom. the red race car bed stood valiantly, awaiting his little body to be put under the covers. the room was so much happier and brighter than his. much cleaner too. paps always cleans his room. sans still has yet to understand where he got that trait. but, he’s thankful for it. sans laid the small child down, pulling his little orange blanket over him so he wouldn’t wake up cold during the night. for a moment, he watched paps from the doorway. pondering his day and making sure he wasn’t to wake up unexpectedly. when the child stays asleep, he makes his way out and into his own bedroom.

it was dark in here, but he didn’t mind. he liked being able to just sit there in the dark for a while. gave him time to cope and relax. a heavy sigh was let out, letting his bones finally adjust to the sudden lack of work and stress. not that the stress wouldn’t follow him wherever he walked. he rarely got moments like these. it seemed like no matter how hard he worked, he just couldn’t do anything right. that didn’t mean he was giving up just yet. not for a very long time, he hoped anyway. his gaze shifts over to the only window in the room. papyrus’ room has more because he wanted to be able to see the sun and the clouds clearly. while sans liked the sun and all, the thing he most wanted to see while he was down in the underground was the stars.

the first night sans got to see them was one to remember. him and his brother, watching for hours until sans knew he could no longer keep his sockets open. sans, in the moment of thought, reached out at the little twinkling dots of light that shone through his window. the sun was big and obvious. the stars were different. they were much harder to see, but when someone could see them, all together, they were this beautifully orchestrated sky of hope. it was even stranger to later learn that some of them were actually other planets. wow, he was a nerd.

his outstretched phalange falls limp, and he turns his attention back to the ceiling. the bone under his sockets were darker in shade, meaning that he usually had a lack of sleep or overworked himself. anything for papyrus. they were lucky enough to have gotten what they have now, and what they have now might be swiped out from underneath them fairly soon if he doesn’t keep moving forward. he may be last in the race, but that didn’t mean he was necessarily losing. the skeletons rib cage rose and fell as his sight took in every little bump in the popcorn ceiling. sometimes, they’d form shapes or pictures. he’d fall asleep finding certain images in the ceiling, but other times it only kept his brain nervous and wound up. he supposed it depended on his day.

if it was an especially rough day, he would be able to instinctively let his body relax and count the dots in the ceiling like sheep, as that human expression goes. but, if it’s days like ones where he’s just focused on one thing, just isn’t particularly busy at work, or even if it’s cleaner at his place than before... he’d be able to lay here for hours on end. at that thought, he rips his gaze away from the deafeningly repetitive ceiling. it’s so plain but so distracting to him.  
whatever. he was just kind of done with today. work had kept him occupied as much as possible. everything felt so dull and tedious at this point. how do humans live like this? wake up, eat, go to work, come home, eat, sleep, then repeat. 

maybe they have more patience? or perseverance even? or maybe they don’t. he was certain that other humans had to feel the same way, even if it’s not as often as him. if he could, he’d travel the world with papyrus. see so many things, move all around this wide world, maybe even learn a thing or two about cultures... oh how fun and pleasing that would be. but, it can’t be that way, he reminded himself. papyrus is only a kid. and a social one at that. he doesn’t need to be moved across the entire globe. he just wants friends and happiness. sans envies his little brother sometimes. he wasn’t sure where the kid even got it from. sans himself is always so mellowed out and logical about situations. papyrus was like his perfect opposite. a social butterfly who never even had much of a cocoon. always saying hello to strangers, smiling and being positive when things are looking down, always so... so amazing.

sans shut his sockets, no longer wanting to see the world around him. there are plenty of others who have the same qualities, but not as strongly as papyrus does. he supposes that most monsters have this hope that sans never could. it just didn’t sit right with him. someone had to keep their guard up, right? truthfully, humans weren’t exactly the most welcoming at first. even today things aren’t always sunshine and rainbows between the two species. this town is sort of split evenly if he was being honest. which is what makes it even weirder than normal, he supposed. 

this town held so much sorrow sometimes. he’s looked into this town before he even considered visiting here, let alone move in for god knows how long. east haven - the name of the town - has had some odd events and news reports over a span of years. from plenty of abduction and abuse - on both adults and children - reports, to the town having it’s budgeting issues with plenty of mishaps. so, why did he pick it? he picked it because the school was okay enough for papyrus (and much better than his other options) and because the place was more on the down low. most monsters also took this town over a selection of others. probably for similar reasons. anyway, the town held some strange people too.

some thieves, some merchants or restaurant owners, some attention hogs, some casuals who try to stay out of the spotlight... however, they all have one thing in common. they're very hush-hush about the events of this town. he’s heard some say that it’s some ancient curse over the town, but any monster can tell you that’s just superstition of ignorant humans trying to find reason in the world. most would just brush it off as bad luck. he found it particularly odd because he was pretty sure almost every person in this town had something to hide. something that they kept to themselves as to keep it all from being spread. like he said, weird and secretive. but, he didn’t mind all that much. 

on the topic of humans, his mind is brought to you. ha...  
you were an odd one. you weren’t very different from other people, but he could tell you had your quirks. though, he supposed everyone has their quirks. for instance, he honestly hadn’t been expecting your surprise meal tonight. he would have gotten home, alone, did some cleaning, went to pick paps up, then came home and either went to bed or cleaned some more. maybe manage some of his rent or budgeting. but, the change was nice. he wouldn’t have had the time to cook a full meal like that. he knew paps already eats over with dogamy and dogaressa. tonight, he would have probably slapped some meat on some bread and took it to-go or something. not the healthiest, but it was something. and something was almost always better than nothing.

no, he really didn’t think you would even think about him enough to want to cook for him. though, what you’d said earlier had gotten him thinking about it all. you had said you were usually rather lonely and that you wanted to cook for someone else for a change. meaning... you cook for yourself? he could have guessed that you were the one feeding yourself, but it isn’t a ‘cook for everyone’ kind of deal. you really are just kind of left to your own. yeah, definitely not how to raise a child. it made him wonder how long you’ve been doing it. there’s no way that it’s always been this way, so maybe something went wrong. must have been rough to just get that bomb dropped on you one day.

one moment, your a kid playing make-believe and being cared for... the next you’re forced to be the adult. he supposed that his and your situation had its similarities. the both of you were playing the role of adult, just under different circumstances. it was interesting, to say the least. he was being the adult for papyrus’ sake, not his own. but you? well, you seemed to just be surviving. no one to keep your motivation going, no one to work for or have any real goal toward. just... stay fed. stay bathed. stay under a roof. stay decent. repeat. in that case, there was a bit more similar between him and you. but, his mind was going fuzzy. his thoughts were becoming just a meaningless word jumble until there was no coherent thought process. it’s just... darkness.

meaning, sleep had finally come upon his tired bones.


	5. The Time We Take (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Readers day leaves her mood all over the place; considering the circumstances, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again guys! I really appreciate all the nice comments! They make my day! ^_^
> 
> Also, this chapter is considered a two-parter in my book (no pun intended), but the two chapters will not share the same name! I just didn't want to confuse anybody with the two-parter thing.
> 
> Big shout out to all my awesome readers from my other book! I hope you all stick around!  
> I'm trying to get to a learning curve with this site, and I'm kind of exploring new points of views (or at least writing them). 
> 
> Your support is so much help! So, thank you, everyone!
> 
> Enjoy~!

Your POV

(12 AM)

The way it was phrased was as though it was... meaningful. In its own way, of course. Sans usually seemed very on-guard, always on the move and constantly worried about something. You had known this pretty much from the very moment you met him. Taking in every strange movement or nervous word. His eye lights were fuzzy and warm now, giving you this caring gaze. You were suddenly glad that the sky had no clouds tonight. The atmosphere was one you hadn’t felt in a very long time, sending your thoughts and emotions wild. Sans’ hoodie protected your bare skin from the bit of wind that was left. Up here, things felt surreal. It was powerful and something you never thought you would experience. And that... that was enough.

_ _ _  
(14 Hours earlier)  
(10 AM)

Your morning seemed to proceed as usual. You woke up, took your meds, took a shower, got dressed, brushed hair and teeth, did the laundry, made breakfast, and finally did the dishes. All of it consisted without the sight of either of your parents. For a moment, you had stared up at the stairs, listening to see if the TV or something could be heard. But, either anyone who was upstairs was asleep, or they were out of the house. Either way, it made your morning much more progressive. So, as you finish drying your last pan from yesterday’s adventures, you weren’t sure what to do next. You could, you know, do that monthly cleaning. But, wow, you didn’t have it in you. Yesterdays traveling made your legs a little sore from all the non-stop walking and pedaling. It had just hit you this morning too. Maybe, nothing too adventurous today? You check the time, it’s now 11:30.

You could always pull out that piece of junk and try and get it fixed. It wouldn’t require anything but your hands, your arms, and your brain. Yeah, that’ll do for now! You carefully place the pan in the cupboard, letting out a short sigh of relief. You could vacuum the house a bit afterward too. You make your way into the back area once more, closing your bedroom door after stepping inside. It’s not only a good idea to take advantage of the lack of noise for focus, but if you can get it working again, you might be able to continue your portfolio. Of course, you are slightly clueless as to how to fix the dang thing. It’s been broken for almost a year now. 

As you opened your small closet, you realize that you haven’t opened it too much for a while for anything but clothes. There are corners and compartments that are dusty. Most of it is either filled with clothes, old memories (you’d rather not get into), and other linens for your bed. However, there is one thing that doesn’t belong with the rest. A quaint, black shoe box. However, it doesn’t have shoes in them(though part of you wished there was). You smirk slightly, picking up the box. Shutting your closet without a second thought, you carefully set the box down on your table, presuming to pull out small tools that are adjusted for this particular device. 

Inside the box, was a camera. It was broken up into only a couple pieces. About a year back, the thing had stopped working after someone had rudely shoved your shoulder just as you were taking a nice shot. You had dropped it from the harsh push, and it never worked the same again. It had honestly, after your anger went away, upset you a lot. It had been the one thing keeping you from so much self-destruction. Now that it’s been a while since it all went down, things have just become kind of tedious and dull. Another reason why you decided to eat with Sans. It was something new.

You pull out the camera pieces very gently, making sure that nothing else breaks upon exiting. Now, any rational person would have just taken it to a shop and gotten it fixed. But, there’s no way you’d be able to afford something like that! Nor would your parents want to even try and afford that. You begin using the tools on hand to mess with certain wires, buttons, and other components. This was why you needed a job. To afford things for yourself without relying on these people. You could maybe get noticed by someone. Ditch this dreadful town. Get your own place.

You stopped at these thoughts. If you could get out of this town, it would take a while. The only reason you have certain things at the moment is that you’re still here. Money doesn’t just run the world, it uses it like a puppet. Or, maybe that’s just the government and society put together into one small rectangular piece of paper. You chuckle aloud and work on the broken camera. You would say that you could leave with Fuku, but Fuku has her own set of goals with a father who actually loves her. That’s more than most here could ever ask for. In your personal opinion, it’s the real reason people will give her a hard time. Because she has something that most kids around here have a hard time getting. Love.

Or even just a guardian at that.

Wow, you are really depressing today. Your gaze shifts toward the prescription bottle at the corner of your table.   
Its orange color had become so normal. You rip it away not a moment later, focusing on your work. Anyway, if someone would JUST hire you, then you’d have a start! But, some of the people around here are cheap. They won’t hire me without adult consent, or they won’t hire me because their kids know who you are. And what you did.  
What you did... doesn’t matter anymore. It shouldn’t keep you from having a future. One that you’re finally starting to have faith in, but no one will help. You’re alone. 

Something clatters to the floor. You drop the tools on the table harshly and lay your forehead against the wooden surface. “Why can’t ANYTHING just be some form of easy? Just ONE thing!” You let out a little louder than intended. But, it didn’t matter. No one would hear you. And even if they did, no one would care. No one would think anything of it.  
You groan and shut your eyes with a tightness you hadn’t intended. One day...  
One day things will start looking up.  
Even if it takes all you’ve got...

You will persevere if it is the last thing you do.

_ _ _

Sans’ POV

(12 PM)

his day off had gone semi-smoothly. dogamy and dogaressa were not able to watch paps today, due to some sudden meeting with the queen. that was okay, he knew. since he had actually taken his day off, he could drop paps off with grillby later. no biggie. but, for now, he wanted to keep papyrus around for a bit. no need to rush things. so, there he and papyrus cleaned the dishes together. he would have done them alone, but paps insisted he help. and, honestly, sans couldn’t refuse the little guy. “Sans?” papyrus reached up for the plastic cup to put it away in the nearby cupboard. the skeleton was absolutely adorable standing on his step stool so proudly. “yeah paps?” 

“When does school start again?! I want to show the teacher my new cape!!” paps’ scarf hung like a cape around his neck. his pose matching his mood perfectly. sans hands him another cup, to which papyrus happily puts away with a small ‘nyeh’ as he reaches up. “whoa paps, ya still got a bit of time before that happens.” he shrugs as he scrubs a plate with a sponge in hand. “I know... But I’m just so excited! I’m gonna show everyone in class! And then, everyone will want to be my friend!” papyrus proclaims with a confidence sans knew he could never have. “ya gonna get friends by showing off ya stuff?” sans felt bad for the smaller skeleton. papyrus hadn't really had too many friends. any that he had obtained either moved or just stopped talking to him.

it upset sans, but he can’t beat up a 7-year-old. it had equally devastated papyrus. but, he always kept his head held high. classic papyrus. “wouldn’t ya want a friend that likes ya for your awesome personality instead of the things ya own?” papyrus thought hard on that one. he was clasping his chin with two fingers, while sans waited for his thought process to be met so he could hand him the next dish. “W-Well... yeah...” oh boy... 

papyrus grasps the last dish silently, setting it in a different cupboard than the cups had been in. “hey, don’t get all sad on me now.” sans ruffled his skull with his dry phalange. “ you are the great papyrus after all. i’m sure everyone will love you for your new get up and your personality.” sans gave him a wink, and papyrus cheered right on up. “Yeah...! I am! NYEH HEH!!” The skeleton zooms off into the living room, just as sans wipes off his phalanges. “alrighty. now that the cleaning is done...” sans checks the time. it was, indeed lunchtime. papyrus could be picky about when he eats his meals. for instance, papyrus won’t eat lunch until between twelve and two. otherwise, he’ll wait it out until dinner, which is five to eight. sans recalls paps telling him that he gets an extra hour because he knows how busy sans could be. it was... kind of a sad commentary if he was really thinking about it. but, on its own, it also meant that sans was doing his job of raising papyrus to be a kind soul. that’s one of many things sans could hope to raise papyrus with. 

sans opens the fridge, revealing little food. dang. he’ll have to take him out somewhere. but where? he wouldn’t have the time or money for a grocery spree since he promised to take paps to grillby at 2:30. and paps already had those leftovers that y/n made yesterday for lunch. that only reminded him that he needed to bring your tupperware back. which, in turn, reminded him he has no clue how to find you. he shakes his skull, knowing his trail of thought had run off course a moment. either way, it would have to be a fast food of some sort. sans shuts the fridge with a sigh. he hated eating out because it meant money. but, papyrus was not waiting for dinner with grillby. he would never make papyrus wait that long, no matter how much paps thought it to be okay.

alright, a delve into town it is then. “hey paps?” sans calls out for the skeleton, which has papyrus tumbling from his bedroom. “Yeah??” he held a steering wheel made entirely from the cardboard tubes you’d find from paper towels. sans had to give it to paps, he was one creative little skeleton. “we're going out for food before you go over to grillby’s, okay?” sans says it to papyrus in the form of a question, but it was really meant as a statement. and judging by his next response, papy already knew that. “OH! OH! Can we go to that new place in town?!” sans hadn’t been expecting a request. was there a new one in town? if so, probably wasn’t monster built. luck would’ve had to really be on his side for that to happen, and it usually wasn’t. 

“we’ll have to see when we get there, pap. but i don’t know where it i-” 

“I do! I do! Dogaressa and Dogamy and I got lunch there yesterday!” papyrus did a funny little dance in anticipation. it was a sight to see, as his boots tapped with every movement he made. sans couldn’t dampen the skeletons excitement just like that. he didn’t have the soul to do that. “alright alright-” but before sans could even think on it, papyrus leaped with joy; energy and excitement coursing through him. sans wasn’t sure what had come over the little guy, but none-the-less, he was happy. so, sans obliged. “YES! I CAN’T WAIT!!” the skeleton was now doing a victory dance on the couch, causing sans to chuckle at his antics. anything for his bro.

Your POV 

(2 PM)

Nothing with the camera had been accomplished from what you could tell. For a moment, you thought you were on to something, but it proved to be some sort of sick joke of scraps. It frustrated you, especially considering your mood today. However, there was nothing to be done. You’d just have to find a good source of income...  
It’s been about two - maybe three - years since you had to steal from anyone. You don’t want to steal from people over a camera... but the days are only getting colder. Before long, motivation might fade. Or, maybe it will only grow. Either way, it doesn’t feel good right now. You stood up from the table, leaving the broken pieces and tools right there for another time. 

You make your way out of the room, knowing you’d have to go ahead and vacuum if you ever wanted to get anything else done. Though, a quick snack would be in order because you hadn’t thought to eat in the midst of your battle with the camera. You’d have to eat something small, so you don’t fill up too much and you have enough time to get a little bit more done before anyone gets home. It seems that today, you’d been left to yourself all day. Not even your father was home, which was strange. Honestly, you wanted to investigate upstairs a bit. Maybe snag a dollar or two if something was left up there. But, stealing from your parents was different from stealing from a complete stranger. 

Besides, even if they were home, you could care less about what they were doing. Walking into the kitchen, your bare feet against the smooth, cold tile was a little chilling. You rummaged through cupboards and drawers, looking for something to snack on. Eventually, you settle on a granola bar. The wrapper crinkled with every attempt you made to take it off of the treasure inside. Throwing your trash away, you realized you’d also have to take out the garbage fairly soon. After all this vacuuming you were about to do, you wouldn’t put it past the vacuum to hold a lot of dirt to fill up the can easily. 

Jogging out of the cooled kitchen, your feet automatically knew where to go as you munched down on the granola goodness. The softness of the carpets in the living room was far better feeling against your skin. Finding the vacuum in the back hallway, you quickly got to work on your vacuuming. You could usually make a quick job of it all, considering there were only two rooms in the downstairs that had carpet. Though, sometimes you’d vacuum the hard flooring if it seems especially dirty. The upstairs was entirely carpet, though, you don’t dare go into the office. That was dangerous territory, and you knew you’d end up cleaning it too if you walked in.

Sometimes, you just couldn’t help but keep things tidy. If something wasn’t right, you had the urge to fix it.  
You stopped in your movements, the vacuum still going. That’s probably why you gave away your last bit of money to, at the time, a complete stranger. Because the situation wasn’t right, so you felt the need to fix it. Damn your conscious...  
But, you don’t regret it, just kinda disappointed you never got those shoes. At this point, you thought you might borrow a pair of Fuku’s. You shook your head, realizing that the vacuum was still on, and you were just standing there.

Overall, the vacuuming took about only 30 minutes. So, as soon as that was done, you took the contents of the vacuum and spilled them into the trash. Just as you had thought earlier, the trash was now too full to fit anything else. You proceed to pull out a new trash bag from underneath the kitchen sink, laying it on the counter while you took out the old one. Your chores were important around here. No one else took the time to do this stuff. If you didn’t, the place would be awful. Your mother is barely home, and even when she is she’s just on her computer doing god knows what. And your father doesn’t care about either of you. Like your nothing.

No god... quit thinking about this stuff today! Yesterday was so nice and now here you are, moping like an idiot as you keep things tidy. You groaned out loud, staring at the - now - replaced trash bag sitting in the can. Everything was so wrong. And you felt something just tugging at you to escape this hell hole. Sure, no one beat you, but you know how a kid should be living. A kid shouldn’t understand as much as you did at only 9 years old. “And yet here I am.” You mumbled to yourself, luging the trash toward the front door.

Opening it, you went straight to the large, blue bin waiting on the curb of your driveway. For a moment, your mind was silent. Like, it just needed a moment to shut the hell up for once in this entire day. It seems as though, things were just a flat platform until your gaze looked up just as you were lifting the lid. A blue vest. Little white pupils for eyes. worn out sneakers. tired expression. It was as though, the moment your eyes met his some sort of switch flipped. Your body stopped moving and the both of you were just staring at one another. There was no thought process behind it, nor had it been expected. “Sans?” You suddenly question, your mind returning to its original state. “u-uh... yeah. wow.” He seemed caught off guard as well. He was right there, not even a foot away. 

“W-What are you doing here?” You weren’t sure if this confrontation was a coincidence or purposefully led, either way, some part of you was happy to see someone else today. Maybe even, to see him? “i was... dropping someone off in the neighborhood.” He seemed to come back to his wits suddenly. His guard was up, but only because he probably hadn’t been expecting you. “what are... what are you doing here?” Some birds chirped happily in the background. “I... live here?” It came out in the form of a question. To which you added on - pointing over at your house, “Right here. Was just...” You peek over at your bag of garbage as if directly looking at it would turn you to stone. 

“...taking out the trash.” You finish your sentence. He nods thoughtfully. You quickly put the bag directly in the giant bin, letting the lid close with a smack. “if i’d have known you lived around here, i’d have brought your tupperware back to ya.” He relaxed himself a bit, his phalanges being shoved into the pockets of his vest. It was odd seeing him wear a vest. Usually, he was wearing the uniform or a hoodie. Guess it’s something he wears as his casual?   
“Oh, it’s fine. There are others in the house.” You wave off the tupperware from your meal yesterday evening. “You can even keep them for a while if you’d like! No rush.” He seemed sheepish at the end of your words. “nah, i ain’t needing ‘em. ‘sides, ya seem to like to cart food around.” He winks. 

That earned him a small chuckle out of you. “Well, my point is, you can return them whenever you’d like.” You were being sincere with every word. “i... i appreciate it.” For a moment, you could almost see the same shade of blue against his perfectly white skull. Though, it might have been a trick of the sun. “It’s really nothing, short stack.” You decided to cheer up the conversation a bit. He still doesn’t seem to approve of the nickname. “we’re practically the same height ya know!” he points a finger at me, but he’s got a smirk on his face. “Ha! I do believe that’s not true!” A smile lifts to yours as well. “As you can see, I am a whopping four foot eleven!” You present yourself with an added dramatic effect. He laughs, “And you’re...” you stop, realizing your joke has failed since you have no clue how tall he is. “How tall are you?” He snorts at your bluntness. It was as if all the sudden anxiety in the both of you had just washed away.

“i’m four foot ten, but we might as well be the same.” You simply shook your head. “Sorry, but I’m already shorter than average, I’ve gotta cling to what I can, short stack!” Your mood was suddenly different, giving you a fuzzy feeling in your chest. “heh, ya know, us short people gotta stick together!” He crosses his arms, giving you a genuine smile. Those were nice to see from him. It had yours perk up even more. “Maybe, but sometimes, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.” You returned the wink. The little moment was short-lived, as you see your mothers car coming down the street. “Hey uh, what are you doing tonight?” Your smile fading a little bit. He seemed to take notice to your gaze, turning to watch the car pull into the driveway. 

“uh, ‘s my day off. so, was planning to just get some cleaning and such done.” The both of you were more occupied on your mother walking out of the car as she was shouting at your father, who was getting out of the passenger seat. Well, that wasn’t embarrassing at all. All you could make out from their nonsensical crap was ‘working’ and something about other women. Yeah, that one didn’t make it ay better, so you just turned your face back toward Sans. “Do you uh... mind if I help?” He tears his gaze away from your guardians, clearly giving his opinion of things. He gives you a small smile. “i don’t mind. could use the extra help.” he says with a curt nod. 

“Okay... just, I can meet you there since, I need to-” The door slams shut, stopping your train of thought a moment. Why were they always like this? “-grab some stuff.” You let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, about that.” You felt like that had just returned you to your awkward and shy state. “it’s not ya fault, i understand.” He seems to still be okay though. You nod, not sure if that was the truth or a bold-faced lie. “i’ll meet ya there, then?” His phalanges were put right back into his vest pockets. You nod, “Yep!” 

Before you know it, you’re watching Sans walk down the street, his laces dragging slightly against the road. You start heading back toward your front door with a reluctance, you waited until you couldn’t hear the voices as strongly. Whether the argument had died down, or it was moved to another room, it meant you had the opportunity to sneak inside and grab some belongings before leaving on your bike. You walk inside, seeing no one, but hearing the angry voices upstairs. You began to make your way toward the back rooms. You could help Sans clean his place, maybe work on your camera more over there if you get the chance, and even just chill out with him. Just, anywhere but here. You begin thinking about what to bring besides your camera stuff. A notebook? Sure, why not? 

You scramble to collect anything that might turn up as useful. In the end, you grabbed your camera and tools, a notebook and pen, a few bags of chips, your earbuds, your charger, and your phone. You didn’t usually use your phone too much. It almost never had service since my parents could care less about little things like that. Every once in a while, if my parents are going off for longer than a week, they’ll put a monthly card on there. But, that doesn’t really happen. You wish it did though. Either way, you have some downloaded music on there and that was its main purpose. 

You felt - and heard - your stomach growl and groan. You still hadn’t eaten anything yet. Shoot. You run to the kitchen, knowing that you would need something that was filling. But, due to your rush, you’d decided a sandwich would have to do. You wanted out of this house more than ever. Sometimes, the silence was too much to bear. But, you realized something else as a sudden crash came from upstairs, followed by more shouting. You also couldn’t handle the noise. It was like your mind was on this never-ending rollercoaster of feelings and sounds and colors. 

Though, that could also be an effect of your medicine. Either way, you hated being in this house. This house held so much sorrow. At one point, it wasn’t that way. But, things change. People change. You hurriedly slapped bread, meat, and cheese together. “Yeah, just like you did LAST TIME. And the time AFTER THAT!” They were coming downstairs just as you had finished making your sad excuse for a meal. “Oh please, like YOU’RE any better? When’s the last time you even TALKED to her then?” That last comment struck you as interesting, causing you to stop in your tracks. You hid in the kitchen, just beside the door. You could tell they were right next to the front door, so leaving wouldn’t be very easy anyway. 

“Okay, well at least I actually DO something to provide! Meanwhile, all you do is PLAY that STUPID system ALL DAMN DAY!” You quietly munched on the food. “I tried putting this family back together! I really did! But all you can ever think to do is go out with men way over your age to ‘provide’ for your ‘family’.” This was honestly the most emotion your father had put into anything besides his games. Interesting. “Take a look in the damn mirror, Keith!” Your mother's voice had gone lower, rather than higher. “Let’s be honest, we don’t love each other. That much is fucking clear.” It’s true, they don’t love each other. “However, we’re married. We’re adults. We’ve got a kid for crying out loud...! I just want you to do something with your time. Take out the trash every once in a while. Get a job. Or ya know what?” It goes silent, and you stopped chewing the food. “Why not try to be a father to your kid?” And that seemed to be the final word. At least, for you. You were ready to leave. 

You finish up the last few bites, then walk out of the kitchen, catching the eyes of your parents. Both stared at you with knowing looks. You wanted to say something. But, it seemed as though you had nothing to say that would make any difference. Well, except, “Excuse me.” Your father stared down at you a moment, then moved over a bit so you could open the door and leave.


	6. The Choices we Make (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sans and Reader talk through the night after a long day of cleaning.  
> Memories are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I caught this chapter just in time! Thought I would have had this done before the week was up, but wowza it was NOT. This chapter has to be the longest so far. Lots of information that you definitely don't want to miss too!
> 
> This is the second part of the two-parter.  
> I hope you enjoy~! ^_^

Your POV

(3 PM)

The whole way to Sans’ place, your thoughts and emotions had been running wild. Most of the time, you had a tendency to overthink pretty much anything and everything. So, between that and you second-guessing yourself, your train of thought had just gone off the rails. Skipping from ‘Maybe I should have intervened sooner and said something?’ to ‘Did Sans really just let you come over even when he said he was busy?’ By the time you’d arrived at his front porch, he was right outside, scrubbing down on the window right up front. Ah, so he was doing THAT kind of cleaning. You could get behind that. His attention is turned toward you as your bike makes a clunk sound once you set it against the wood stairs. 

“Hey, everything okay?” He stops what he's doing, setting the sponge, that had once been pouring suds down his bare bone, down into the water bucket. “Yep, I’m good.” Physically, yeah. Mentally, you were lost. But, that wouldn’t affect your time with Sans. “Okay, so, what would you like me to do?” You readjusted the backpack on your back so that it wasn’t trying to dig into your shoulder all wrong. For a moment, his white eye lights stare back into your own eyes. Then, he moves the water bucket over out of the way of the door. “huh. i thought ya just wanted to get away. didn’t realize ya actually was gonna help.” He shrugged. Oh...

“Well, of course, I wanted to get away. But, I’m in a cleaning mood and I’m helping out a friend. So, why not?” You lean into the rails. He chuckles and says, “heh, thanks. means a lot.” He sighs, then motions you to follow inside as he wipes his phalanges dry with a spare hand towel. “well, since you’re here...” You realize that the dishes had been done and put away neatly, the counters had been scrubbed clean, and there was nothing left lying around that wasn’t cleaning supplies or furniture. “...all that’s really left to do is the bigger stuff. ya know, sweeping and mopping, dusting, etc.” You take your shoes off right beside the door, leaving your socks on. You would work better without them. “Alright... I can sweep and mop if you don’t mind?” You watch his head nod. “knock yerself out! i’ll be washing all the windows, so if ya need something i’ll be outside.” 

And so, the both of you began working. You had your earbuds in your phone, listening to whatever came onto your Pandora radio at the time. Every once in a while, as you swept, Sans would peek through the windows and wave at you or give you a goofy grin, which you returned both. After sweeping, Sans seemed to have finished all the windows and finally came inside to dust. You made a couple jokes about putting him in one of those cliché maid costumes, to which he blushed and argued that if you did that, he’d force you to wear one too. To which you made a comment about his height to bring the topic away. It was playful and fun when you were doing all of this with someone else!  
Even cleaning was better with two people. Especially when that person is just as goofy and appreciates your humor.

(6 PM)

So, the windows had gotten done, the floors were swept and mopped, all the nooks and crannies had been dusted (and some polished even), and the both of you even ended up vacuuming the carpet. By the end, it was as if the place had just been freshly moved into. “ha, wow! you really were in a cleaning mood.” he says, his hands now in his vest pockets casually, sitting on the sofa. “Yeah...” You watch as his gaze trails to the remote that goes to their TV. The television wasn’t anything special. was older and smaller, which you expected - and understood - completely. But, it wasn’t too old that it was unrecognizable. It also wasn’t like a boxed TV. Rather, it was a smaller kind of flat screen that stood on the entertainment center with its own legs. 

“you uh... happen to know how to fix a tv?” he seemed a little embarrassed at the question. fix a TV? “Depends on the type of fixing, I suppose.” You waited to sit down in case you’d end up standing right back up again. “so uh, me and my... roommate...were watching cable, when the settings started going all funky on us.” He turns the tv on with the remote, then switches to a random channel. The channel was some cooking channel. You watched the TV for a moment before suddenly, the brightness started changing and getting brighter. “it’s kinda new, and i’m not sure how it functions exactly.” A smirk reaches your face. “Can I see that please?” You reacher hand out for the remote, which it receives almost instantly. “You must be used to older TV sets then.” You crouch down beside Sans. Using the remote, you go into the menu and settings page. 

“See, this is a newer model, and this kind of TV will automatically change the brightness depending on the lighting of the room.” You hand him the remote before rushing over toward the light switch. “Companies do this with some smart TVs for the sake of human eyes. So, when it’s brighter in the room, your TV responds to that by matching its brightness. If it’s darker...” you trail off and switch the lights off. Almost immediately, the TV’s brightness lowered. “... then the TV accommodates itself so that people won’t hurt their eyes while watching. It’s something simple you can change in the main settings.” You finally shut your mouth, turning the lights back on.

“oh... yeah, i'm not used to all that new stuff. we only had what fell into the underground. which, was usually junk, but occasionally something useful would fall down.” He messes with a few buttons and settings before shutting the TV back off. “heh, thanks for helping me out today.” You simply nod. The underground... that’s where they came from, under the mountain? Weird to think that a mountain could hold such secrets. “It’s no problem at all. Keeps me busy!” You note, leaning back into the couch. 

For a moment, it’s silent. Nothing but the fan in the background to keep a flow of some sort of noise. You shut your eyes, taking in the moment. Today could’ve gone better but, in the end, you weren’t alone. “what’s in the box?” You snapped out of your moment, opening your eyes immediately at the question. You look over to Sans, then follow his line of sight right toward your stuff. Right, you had taken it out in the midst of cleaning to put away your earbuds and phone. You must have left it out. “Oh, it’s uh... nothing special really.” You felt suddenly anxious and unsure of yourself.  
It’s something that barely anyone knows about. Just two people really. Maybe three. You only told people who were ‘worthy’ per say. Though, you weren’t exactly sure what that meant overall.

You made your way over to the box, shoving it back into your bag. “Just something that's broken that needs to be fixed.” You were faced away from the skeleton, your expression probably dazed and nervous. You don’t hear anything else from him on your mysterious box. You shouldn’t have even brought it. You must have just been so caught up in leaving that you hadn’t even thought about having to show it to Sans. “Anyway, anything else that needs to be done short-stack?” You turned back to him, changing the topic entirely. He merely rolls his eye lights but doesn’t argue on the nickname. “uh, cleaning wise, we should be good...” 

He thinks over what is probably an internal list in his thoughts. “i mean, there is one thing. but we don’t really have to do that today.” The way he had phrased it put a small smile on your face. “Oh, so... you intend on me coming back?” He processed your words and said, “no why would i-” He suddenly turned a bright, glowing blue color. “i-i didn’t mean it like that! it just sorta came out i guess. you really don’t have to if you don’t want to though it would mean a lot but, like i said, no pressure just meant me really and-” “Holy cow short-stack, if you keep going at this rate you’ll never stop! Relax~!” You pat his skull in reassurance. “I don’t mind helping out at all! Though, we can definitely get to whatever it is you have left tonight if you’re still up for it.” He waves your hand away in a mess of embarrassment. “let’s just get this over with...” Awwh~ Now he’s all grumpy! He’s so cute when he’s grumpy. You stop in your tracks as you’d gone over your thoughts. What? Did you just...?  
No, you only meant it in a puppy cute kind of way. Yeah! 

Later on, you hurry to catch up to the skeleton, now walking back outside. “So, what’ve you got left anyway?” You follow him behind the trailer. His hands find their way out of his vest pockets and onto a ladder that’s up against the roofing of the place. “ya ain’t scared of heights, are ya?” He asks, and it seems almost genuine. You shook your head. “Nope!” He nods and makes his way up the ladder. You didn’t have a fear of heights... But the ladder looked questionable. Either way, you made your way up the ladder as soon as he was on the roof. He held out a phalange toward you, and you take it with a smirk. “basically,” sans dust off his hands on his shorts as we both safely stand on the roof. “we been having this weird noise come through, and i’m positive it has something to do with the roofing. Like there’s some sort of air flow that’s making a whistling sound.” You start checking all around. At first, you don’t see anything of particular interest, however, you stop at the sight of the metal roofing coming up just ever so slightly. 

“It needs to be weighted right here.” You say, looking over at him as you carefully nudge the open end with your foot. “weighted?” he asks, walking over to investigate himself. “Yeah, something particular;y heavy too. Since the roof is metal and all.” He scrunches his face up, giving you a small giggle to repress. “how heavy we talking?” You stared down at the opening. “A tire would do you nicely. Got any of those around?” You place your hands in your pants pockets. “uh, can’t say that i do.” he sighed, prodding at the opening. Suddenly, he plops down on top of it, causing the opening to immediately shut under his weight. For a moment, you just stare. He just...

You burst out in laughter at his antics. “O-Okay! Problem solved! Now, all you gotta do is just stay put until I can find a tire. Might take me a while though! Good luck!” You start walking toward the ladder, jokingly of course. “nah nah nah! you gotta keep me company while i’m up here!” You turned and raised your brow with a smirk. “then who's gonna get the tire?” He thinks about it, but only for a second. He shrugs and says, “i have connections.” You just roll your eyes, walking over to the skeleton. Sitting down beside him, you say, “Sounds like ya gat some drug dealers ready to deal ya some tires instead.” He laughs along with you, your palms placed gently against the metal top to keep you up. 

Once the laughter dies down, it goes into a content silence. The sky was beginning to go into an array of different warmer colors. Reds, oranges, pinks, yellows, and even some purples. A picture perfect moment. It had you thinking how cool it would have been to have Sans standing or sitting in front of it, giving you such a memorable shot with just a silhouette of his bones. Overall, Sans would be the perfect subject for some photos. A skeleton resembled a lot and the meaning changes depending on what else is in the picture. That alone, to you, was fascinating. Guess your just a giant nerd then huh? “so, how are you doing?” his questions was sudden and suggestive. “What do you mean?” Your gaze is torn from the scenery and glued onto Sans’ expression. It’s suddenly worried.

“i mean, things seemed pretty freaking intense back there with your uh... parents.” His tone was so mellow and nervous at the same time. And deep. “Oh. Well, as okay as i really can be I guess. I mean, it’s nothing new or anything.” You shrug. He nods. “ya seem so... relaxed about it. guess that’s more sad and scary than not being used to it.” What he said made sense. And it was the truth. “They’ve been like that for a very long time. Almost as long as I can remember.” You wave off his concern, or at least try. “yeah, guess so.” You stare back at the sky in thought.  
For a moment, you think the topic has changed. However, Sans proves you wrong.

“have they ever hit you or-”  
“No!” You cover your mouth at your quick reaction time. “Sorry, I...”  
“The question just gets asked a lot when people find out.” You sigh, staring into his pupils. “Sorry...”  
He just gives you a soft and understanding smile. “hey, i understand. i just wanted to make sure that nothing bad happened to ya after i left. or even before today really.” You shook your head. “This town has a reoccurring theme of abused kids. Even some adults.” He nods in agreement. “so i’ve heard.” “And I’m lucky to not be one of them. I really am.” He looks down at his phalanges. “but just because you don’t get beat doesn’t mean the situation is good.” You sigh and lay down against the cold metal in attempts to calm your nerves. “I can’t deny that I guess.” Sans watches carefully as you adjust yourself. For a moment, he looks to have zoned out. “i got an idea, wait here.” He stands to his feet, rushing down the ladder as if I’m going to jump off the roof if he didn’t come back within a reasonable time. 

(9 PM)

Sans returns about ten minutes later lugging a comforter. “What are those for?” You question, assisting him up the ladder. He thanks you briefly before explaining, “well, since ya seem to want to stick around for a while, thought i might bring up some stuff.” You felt a little embarrassed. Was that his way of saying I should leave already? He seemed to be some sort of mind reader, as he quickly reassures you. “not that i’m saying you need to leave or anything! i just meant that, well, i thought ya would have left by now on ya own. i uh... kinda like hanging out with ya. plus you’ve been a big help.” There was a look of appreciation in his expression that you couldn’t help but smirk at.  
“Awwwh! Thanks, short-stack.” You give him a wink for a bit of comic relief. He just shakes his head, as though the nickname still didn’t stick with him. But, there was a grin spread across his skull. One that just seemed so genuine and kind. Full of something... 

What’s the word again? You watch as he unfolds the blanket and lays it out on the roof in just the right spot. It was as if the word was on the tip of your tongue, and yet it was as though it was purposely being covered up in your mind. As though it were fogged. “ya know, back in the underground, monsters got to know each other in a much different way than you humans do.” Did it start with... an A maybe? Or some vowel. I? “honestly, it takes a lot for us monsters to get to know a human. it’s weird.” You watch as he fixes all the corners to decency. “you guys like to just talk your way through certain stuff. it’s interesting. i mean, not that we don’t talk to each other either.” He plops himself down with a soft grunt, looks back at you, then pats the ground beside him. His eye lights meet your own eyes, and you could see it again.

Intuition? No.  
Ignorance? Definitely not.  
Impatience? Okay, now you’re just coming up with stuff.

It was a good thing. Something that was truly him. “Integrity.” You murmur softly. He quirks his skull to the side. “huh?” You shake your head from your thoughts and caught back up to his new conversation topic. “Interesting, I said.” Setting myself onto the comforter with a sigh. “How do monsters interact then?” You immediately lay back again, watching the sky that was now turning darker and darker by the minute. “heh, well, where to start...” He follows suit. “ya know what a soul is?” You rested your arms behind your head and spoke softly, “Uh, sort of? I know it’s suppose to be some sort of monster thing?” He shakes his head, laying his own arms over his body. “not exactly. it’s a human ‘thing’ too.” 

“your soul is your being pretty much. it’s the embodiment of who you are.” It was a little cryptic, but you understood to a certain degree. “Like... your spirit?” He scrunched his skull and said, “yes and no, i guess?” Even worse, okay. “ a being's soul is like a physical representation of your personality, your past, your aspirations, etc.” He looks to you with slightly lidded eyes. “like i said, it’s who you are.” You nodded, understanding the concept a bit more now. “anyway, different types of people have different soul traits. there are only 7 main ones, but humans souls nowadays are more complex and evolved.” He’s started using hand gestures to explain his point which you thought to be a cute quirk of his. “but, that’s kind of irrelevant to the topic.” He mumbled that part, causing you to giggle. 

“gosh okay... anyway, monsters use their souls to sort of get to know one another instead of using their physical words.” Now it was your turn to scrunch your face. “Wait, how does that even work?” He pretty much facepalms at your own ignorance. “i was gonna explain that, jeez miss impatient.” You merely stick your tongue out at him. You’re taken aback when he does the same, only his is this blue (and a little appealing to the human eye) outlined and glowing version. It looks just like a regular one, though more rounded off than any humans. He laughs at your sudden wide-eyed reaction. “what? skeleton got ya tongue?” You just push his face away. “There’s just so much about you guys that are so cool and interesting.” You started thinking aloud by saying, “If I could get a shot of that...” You realize your mistake immediately. 

“a shot? w-what does that mean?” You cover your face and turn away. “I-It... It means uh, like a picture I... guess....” He goes silent a moment. “Sorry that was unca-” “ya wanna take a picture of my tongue?” Well, that comment didn’t help your embarrassment at all. You weren’t obliged to say anything at that point except... “...Yes? Oh! But like, not a direct... one...” Your excitement was cut off by Sans’ laughter. “i-i gotta say, that’s n-new to me buddy!” 

*You are over-flowing with Embarrassment ...

(10 PM)

“i mean, it’s not every day someone tells me ‘hey mind if i take a picture of your tongue’?” Was he trying to reason with you? Because it wasn’t working. “Well, guess I’m just not like other people...” You grumble, looking away entirely.  
He doesn’t seem to bestow that with an excuse. “sorry. didn’t seem to make it sound like i thought it was a stupid idea or somethin’, just new to me - beanie.” At first, you look at Sans, your face probably flushed. “Beanie?” Was he calling you a hat? Is that a metaphor? What?? “ya know, like one of those stuffed animals you humans have.” Sans waved his hand carelessly with description. “A Beanie baby? Is that a new way to get back at me for calling you short-stack?”  
He stared up at the sky and shrugged. “maybe. but i like it. been thinking about it for a while. it suits you.” 

At that moment, you knew something was different from all the previous times you’d met with him.  
Like, something was there that wasn’t before. Something nice, that neither of you could really name actually. That was okay though. “It’s a camera.” You spoke suddenly, staring over at his skull in the light of the evening sky. He finds your eyes once more. “Earlier, you asked me what’s in the box. It’s a camera.” He seems almost a little surprised at your confession. “well, in that case, i’d be okay for you to snap a pic of my tongue.” You roll your eyes with a grin on your face. “Oh, but if it wasn’t a camera it wouldn’t be permitted?” He just shakes his head, causing you to chuckle. “Even if I wanted to - which I do - I can’t.” You felt goosebumps go over your skin as the breeze starts to go by. “The piece of junk is broken. Can’t get it fixed because I don’t have the skill or money.” You sit up getting too cold to lay still. “No tongue pictures for me!” You joked with a small smile and a wink. He sits up along with you now. He starts unzipping his vest with a thoughtful look on his face. “What are yo-”

Before you know it, it’s being shoved over your shoulders. “don’t have any sleeves, but the extra layer might help a bit.” The vest revels the rest of his plain white t-shirt. It’s hard to really get any other detail now that the stars are out and your surroundings are all darkened. “Thanks...” You say simply, adjusting the vest to your comfort level. “as for that camera, i’ve been told i have a knack for fixing things.” He lays down, but this time using his humerus bone as a means to keep his head in his phalanges. “i could take look at it if ya want.” You raise your brow at him, then snort in laughter. “w-what’s so funny?!” You hold back your giggles as much as possible before responding, “You couldn’t even figure out how to adjust your settings on the TV earlier. But now you can fix my damaged camera?” 

He groans, shutting his sockets. “look, i just didn’t care much to look into that. i was only asking about it for my-” he stops himself short. “-roommate...” He was very adamant about keeping whoever this ‘roommate’ was under locked metaphorical doors. Hopefully metaphorical anyway. You dismiss his close mistake. You respond after sighing, “If you really think you can be my guest.” You lay back once more, staring up at the night sky. The clouds aren’t out tonight. Strange. It’s almost always kinda cloudy in town at night. A small but odd detail about this town to add onto all the other abnormalities really. Sans’ vest did supply some warmth, keeping you - temporarily - comfortable.

“it’s the least i can do for ya. after all, ya have been a bigger help than ya know.” It was his turn to let out a sigh. A content one at that. “anyways, we got way off topic. still wanna know how monsters get to know one another?” He watches you with a calm expression, his guard down for once. You smile at him. “Of course, it’s really cool learning about monster culture.” His eye lights trail where your own go; The sky. The stars were so clear and shining so brightly that it could give anyone a small smile to their features. “where was i again?” That earned him a small giggle from yourself. “I believe you were unpleased by the fact that I asked how souls are used instead of words?” He chuckles in turn. “ah yes. of course. so...” You shove his shoulder playfully, causing him to plop on his back again. “hey hey hey. no pushing the teacher.” He waves a single phalange, you just shrug in response.

“as i was saying, monsters get to know each other using their souls. humans might have been able to, but because they’ve become so out of touch with their physical souls, that makes it kinda hard.” His eyes are more thoughtful, organizing words and making those into sentences. Making those sentences into sounds until they become something real and understandable. “monsters communicate with souls by sending a signal of sorts. like, imprinting sort of. but that can only be done if both souls mean to. not something that can just happen out on the streets at random.” You nod in understanding. “it’s just funny, i guess.” His relaxed for let’s out a small shrug. “What is?” The crickets in the background were soothing, keeping the atmosphere up nicely. “you.” At that, you squint your eyes in confusion at the blunt response. 

“Um?” You spoke it as to put attention to the fact that the response was not very clear. “heh, it’s just that...” He was having a hard time putting it into words, that much was clear. “...you not only used normal human communication tactics but some monster as well.” Your eyes widen, and they turn toward him. Though, your head stays in place. “With my soul?” He shakes his head. “maybe. but there was also the intent and emotion behind it i guess? it’s hard to explain really.” HIs head turns toward you before his eyes do. “look at it like this, your soul is a clear-cut representation of everything you are and/or want to be. that being said, it’s also a means of connecting with others. having people who love you - whether it be your family, spouse, or friends - is pretty important for your soul to hold hp.” His eyes lidded again, he continued. “in standard terms, that’s what you’d call hope.” For a moment, you could see this sadness in him as he said that word. “So, in order to sustain Hope, I would need others that care for me and vice versa?” He nods, his arms laying behind his skull. 

“so, when you and i were interacting, it made some kind of impact on your soul. maybe even mine, if i’m being honest.” He mumbles the last part, his sockets squinting in thought. That brought your attention back to the sky. Did you make an impact on the both of your souls? “But didn’t you say that should only happen if both are intending on it?” He chuckles and you can see his skull nod from the corner of your eye. “it might not have happened the very first time we met, probably the second time. you must have had the intention of making a friend out of me. i could tell after that day.” You felt like you had done something you shouldn’t have without asking. Like a child who had just stolen a cookie without permission. “W-Wait...” He looks to you with this fuzzy look in his sockets. “How do you know it impacted my soul? Can you see it?” 

“oh well... uh, not exactly. i can’t see it without your permission. that goes for any monster.” He seemed a little nervous at the question but willing to answer clearly. “however, i have a uh... a thing where... i can judge a person by like... imprinting on them per say...?” His words were no longer thought through as well as before. “i-i can tell someones true intentions; regardless of race. as long as they have a soul, i can...” He was using hand gestures to sort of try and move his words along. “...i can feel their intentions?” You smirk at the response. “it’s just, something i’ve had for as long as i can remember.” Understanding as much as possible, you nod. Of course, there had to be other schematics to it. However, if Sans couldn’t explain it, there was no point in really trying to understand it’s concept. 

“Okay, so... does that mean we’re friends then?” You felt a little sleepy, laying against the soft comforter in such a nice atmospheric place. And his vest had this softness n the inside that just felt so natural and inviting. He suddenly looked... happy? But with a slight confusion to his expression. “i... i guess?” And silence took over. Your eyes were lidded and staring up at the night sky, watching each individual star twinkle under your gaze. And the moon? It was in the shape of a perfect present tonight. It’s bigger craters looked so detailed and apparent tonight. There was a small rush of wind every so often, adding to the peacefulness. “do you want to be?” His voice was... hopeful. You looked to him with a small smile and a sleepy gaze. “Yeah... I do.” His genuine smirk came out. “good... because i wouldn’t have it any other way. plus...” And his smirk grew into a smile. “that might make what i’m about to ask a lot easier.”

(12 AM)

The way it was phrased was as though it was... meaningful. In its own way, of course. Sans usually seemed very on-guard, always on the move and constantly worried about something. You had known this pretty much from the very moment you met him. Taking in every strange movement or nervous word. His eye lights were fuzzy and warm now, giving you this caring gaze. You were suddenly glad that the sky had no clouds tonight. The atmosphere was one you hadn’t felt in a very long time, sending your thoughts and emotions wild. Sans’ vest protected your bare skin from the bit of wind that was left. Up here, things felt surreal. It was powerful and something you never thought you would experience. That... That was enough.

“i want you to consider staying with us.”  
_ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you! Down here!
> 
> First of all:  
> Hi there! So, I just wanted to let everyone that isn't aware know that I actually have another series called 'The Angel Among Us'. If you like my work, it would mean a lot if you went ahead and checked that out! If you don't, that's okay too! 
> 
> Second of all:  
> I have a question for you guys! If I were to put up a social media account (Tumblr, Insta, or both) would you like that? I know with Tumblr, people can post on the blog. I figured it would be a cute little area for people who like my work! I don't want to jump ahead of myself and put one up if no one is going to go to it, and I don't want to push anyone into doing it either! It's purely for fun! ^_^
> 
> Social Media Account?
> 
> Yes or No?
> 
> That's all! Thanks for reading!


	7. The Weight of your Options

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Reader thinks over her choices a bit, debating how she will shape her future before she takes on the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit smaller than usual! It's kind of a filler, but it came earlier than anticipated!  
> I could not sleep tonight, so why not post another chapter at three in the morning? 
> 
> Also, you might have noticed something is different. I have not only updated some tags,  
> but I have also upped the chapter number to 50 instead of forty! 
> 
> The reasoning behind the sudden added 10 chapters? Well, we'll cross that bridge when we  
> get there, guys.
> 
> Anywhoozle,
> 
> Enjoy~! ^.^

Your POV

“i want you to consider staying with us.”

Your eyes shot open. You sat up with a, “What?!” In that quick moment, everything slowed down.  
The blanket slid out from underneath you at your sudden jolt, replacing the warmth with cold metal. Sans’ eyes widen, he begins holding out a hand for yours as your body slides off the edge of the roof. You attempted to keep hold of the edge, but you miss entirely and find yourself lying flat on the ground. “holy- y/n!” In an instant, time continues and Sans is above you. You groan out, Sans kneeling beside you. “are you okay?” You aren’t sure how he got onto the ground so fast, but in the moment of your semi-burning legs and aching body, you could have cared less. You cough a little before speaking, “Uh... yeah. I’m good.” He sighs in relief and holds his phalange out for you to grab. You do so, and he assists you up. 

“i-i’m sorry i didn’t mean to say that! i should have just kept my mouth shut! it was just an ‘in-the-moment kind of thing and it was stupid and-” 

“Sans, seriously, I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

He sighs, running his phalange down the front of his skull. “look, i should not have asked you that. i’m sorry. that was...” He looks to me, his guard once more up. “...that was selfish of me.” He had more to say. It was written all over his expression. You rubbed your back, the small bit of pain still there. Luckily, the height between the ground and the roof were not too far apart that the fall could’ve done something. “I don’t know that I’d call it selfish, Sans. Just-” You lean back against the outer wall of the mobile home. “Just a little unexpected. Not to mention illegal.” Which got your mind rolling again.

How... does Sans live here? Unless his misery roommate is some kind of adult, he should be in some sort of foster system. “right... oh my- that’s right, shit!” 

“Whoa, calm your horses short-stack this is a family-friendly book.”

“what?”

“What?”

Sans groans and leans against the wall beside you, his arms crossed. “i kinda forget that ya got these human rules about kids like us.” Well, that confirmed that what he is doing is Illegal. Not only that, but it also told you that his ‘roommate’ was indeed below the age of eighteen. “just forget what i said up there, yeah?” He gives you this sorrowful look, filled with a fake hopefulness. Would you move out? I mean, the worst that could happen to you if you got caught was that you’d be brought back home. It would change your entire life. The question is... for the better or worse?

Plus, you’ve never really lived somewhere else before. Picking up what’s left of your life and moving it with Sans? That’s a... interesting decision. “Give me time to think on it. And if I agree, and your offer still stands, we’ll take it from there. But for now...” You pushed yourself off the wall. “...I don’t even have an idea if this roommate of yours. That means I’d be moving in with a complete stranger.” You shrug it off. He was beyond shocked at your response. For a moment, even speechless. Right now, the chances of you staying with him were slim. But hey, your goal is to get money, maybe even be of age, then beat this awful town. If Sans, in the future, is your ticket there. Then so be it.

Besides, you could use a change in scenery. Not to mention some sleep...  
“deal. but uh... if we’re really doing this. you gotta meet paps.” A smile spread over your lips. “Paps?” Sounds like a father. “yeah. he’s uh... my only family really. my “roommate”.” He used air quotes. “he’s the coolest bro anyone could ever ask for!” He points to you. Not a father. Younger brother. Got it! Although, it felt nice that this skeleton was opening up to you. If this is what your kindness gets you, you should definitely start being friendlier to others.

Not that you aren’t polite or anything but...  
Let’s just say you’ve had your moments.

“I bet he is! However...” He gives you a suddenly worried look. “...I’m beat. Literally.” He snickers softly. “I should head home. I’ve already stayed later than anticipated, and then fate told me to get off my behind so...” He rubs the back of his skull sheepishly. “oh, right. but, it’s almost one in the morning.” He checks his old, brown watch. “dunno if it’s really safe for you to be out this late on the streets.” He nods his head toward the front, the both of you being at the side of the home. “what a true gentleman!” you shove his shoulder playfully. He just lets out a nervous chuckle. “let’s head inside then. i’ll get the blanket in the morning.” He begins walking in the direction of the front door. You follow behind quietly. 

You haven’t had a ‘sleepover’ in a while. You used to have one occasionally with Fuku. But, after what you did with your time in public schooling, you try to leave the poor flame girl alone. You hate the idea of someone bullying her all because she’s associated with you. If you slept over, that meant coming directly home early morning when she gets on the bus. That or I’m in the car with her if Grillby drops her off. Either way, it couldn’t end well. That schools a joke, but so is this town. Everything about it just screams ‘Get the hell out’ to anyone and everyone. Man, this day has been all over the place. Once inside, Sans prepares the couch for you. “alright. tomorrow i have to work, and i’m sure your folks are wondering where you went-” Definitely not. “- so we’ll just go our separate ways but uh... if you're still curious about my brother, stop by anytime after six.” Did he trust you then? “Ha... Sounds like a plan. If things go alright tomorrow, I just might take you up on that offer.” Your voice was sleepy again, the adrenaline from literally falling off a roof had subsided. He nods. and leaves you to yourself as you lied down on the sofa with a sigh. Alright, time to overthink everything.

That last sentence kept running through your head as you absentmindedly stared at your plain white socks. It was really sudden. Honestly, you’d both only just declared one another a friend and suddenly he wants to be my roommate? Had your... ‘imprint’ on him really hit that hard? Or, was it something else? You roll over onto your stomach, shoving your face into the pillow with a soft groan. It didn’t matter too much anyway. What if you did accept his offer? Going through the metaphorical steps in your head it would be a little bumpy. Let’s say you accept. That means you’d have to somehow integrate your things over here. Where would you sleep? The couch was most likely where since you could already tell the layout only held two bedrooms. You wouldn’t have much really. Clothes, some toiletries, a nicknack or two...

Your gaze was lost into the uninteresting rug that you'd just cleaned today.  
Okay, so you could handle sleeping on the couch. And if they did have a better sleeping area, even better. Then there was the fact that your parents would call the authorities eventually. They’d probably wait at least a week though. They aren’t usually a big part of my life as it is. So, meaning, it’s gonna be the same for them. Not seeing me for days at a time might be normal, but not seeing me at all after so long... they’d catch on. So, they file a missing persons report? They do that and I’m officially not going to be able to go out much at all. Which, in turn, could be problematic for more than one reason. That’s one of the biggest issues. 

There’s just too much to consider right now. Not to mention, you move in with him and his brother, means you’re definitely going to have to find work. The only reason you don’t need to right now is that of your mother. But, without her money to buy groceries or... medicine. You’d be struggling even more so. Overall, it was a bad idea. Of course, there were the perks of beginning your own life. After all, you only have three more years of mooching from your parents before you’re on your own. You don’t want to stay with them much longer than that. Meaning the sooner you’re out, the better. And that’s to even say that they do keep providing for you until then. Another perk of moving in with Sans? Well, it gives you the opportunity to get a foot in the door on leaving town. You build yourself up here, then keep moving forward. So, financially, it’s costly. But, for your future, it’s a small price to pay. The options were a weight in your mind now. So weighted that it had your eyelids closed and your mind turning fuzzy from the workout. Before your even aware of it, you’re out like a light.

_ _ _

Your eyes shoot open, a little bit of a cold sweat hanging over you. You let out a shaky breath, letting your mind come back to you. Whatever it was that you had been dreaming about had felt intense. Your face was squished up against the ugly couch, causing you to readjust yourself. This usually happened when you didn’t go to sleep before midnight at least. It was weird, but it rarely happened since you went to bed no later than eleven most of the time. Ten if you have school. Again, summer break has its perks. “you okay down there-” You squeak and fall over on your back, landing on the ground. “this is the second time you’ve fallen for me, beanie.” Sans walks around the back of the sofa, assisting you up once more. “Ha... ow...” You feel around at your back, and it was incredibly sore. Lifting up your shirt from the back, you felt the bare skin. It felt swollen. Meaning what you should have predicted. It was bruised. 

“oh... crap i didn’t realize-” 

“If you start apologizing again I will bonk you on your skull.”

He stopped talking about that topic. “Just bruises. They’ll go away. Anyway...” You release your shirt with a huff.  
“you... okay? ya looked pretty dang spooked when ya woke up.” 

“You were watching me sleep?”

“what?! no! i didn’t even say that!”

“You implied it.” A smirk now on your face.

“beanie, i was in the room and i heard ya gasp.”

“I figured, but I like messing with you.”

He groaned. “just- are ya okay?!” You patted his skull with a small smile. “I’m fine. Just not use to waking up on a couch.” You lied through your teeth. He fell silent, but nods after a good stare. “anyway... i’m heading to work. so...” You nod with wide eyes. “Oh, right. Sorry.” You begin shoving your shoes on, hopping over to your belongings. You make sure you have everything, and stop when your hands reach the box. Your camera. “Um...” You’ve never left it with anyone before. “I-I’ll just leave this... here.” You say aloud so Sans knows. Zipping up the backpack, you follow the skeleton out onto the porch, the sun just coming to life to the small town. Both of your shoes tapped against the wooden stairs, before reaching the grass and gravel. “i’ll be seein’ ya, beanie.” You roll your bike up to where you can hop on. You smile at the skeleton, a good one too. “You bet, short-stack!” You exclaimed with a wink. You began pedaling, waving at the short skeleton, his own smile rubbing off on you. 

Your ride home was a silent one. Just enjoying the wind flowing past your face. That was a nice feeling.  
A short-lived one though. As soon as you were home, the silence was a little eerie. You let a yawn escape you, allowing your bike to lean up against the side of the house. Your plans for today? Probably clean a little, take a nap, then wait until later tonight at six. Yeah... Tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost lost this chapter oml T_T
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. The Things that Matter Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Reader meets the one and only Great Papyrus, and Sans has a discussion with Grillby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... Technically I'm late on this. But, a few minutes after midnight doesn't count so...  
> I'm counting this as on time. 
> 
> Had some issues writing up an essay AND this, all while a bunch of personal things is happening right now. Had some difficulties, but it's here!
> 
> Hope you guys  
> Enjoy~!

Sans’ POV

that day, i worked a seven-to-four shift. i would’ve gone longer. however, i had not only told grillby i’d be picking paps up in about an hour - but i’ve also told y/n that she could meet him around six. that being said, i’m not sure what the hell i was thinking. did i trust the girl?  
...yes. 

and it bothers me in a way. this stranger has somehow ripped down my guard. hell, i even asked her to live with us! there was something wrong with my thought process. honestly, i'm kinda glad she said what she had. she’d give it time. because that’s what smart and rational people do... sans. it hadn’t left my mind since i watched her ride off this morning. it was, by far, the riskiest thing i have ever done. and now? now i'm introducing my little bro to her. i do want her to meet him. she understood the need to survive and stay on ones - metaphorical - feet. and from what i can tell, she's got a kind soul. again, i’m still not sure what her motivation is. 

oh what an idiot i could be. sure, i know lots of things when it came to book-smarts. but common sense lacked every once in a while. as if it needed to escape my brain every so often.   
i sigh, walking past her house briskly. it was rather odd that i had found out she lived in the same neighborhood as one of my babysitters. it was quite the sight to see as her parents just... rolled on by mid-argument. and that embarrassed look on her face? can’t blame her. the neighborhood they lived in was mainly for people who were making... ‘decent’ money. if you could call it that. they weren’t great. but, they were far better than a mobile home. that much sans knew. i’d do anything for the opportunity for me and my bro to have one. 

not a moment later, i approached the front door. i know grillby. he's a kind man who has a knack for cooking and taking care of his kid. i heard that a few years before i met him in the underground, he lost his wife to some sickness. it was a rare thing to get, but it happens sometimes. of course, i never asked grillby for anything but someone to watch paps. nothing more. the guy didn’t need two kids mooching off of him when he’s tryin’ to live a peaceful life with his daughter...

i put my phalange into a fist, ready to knock on the door when it opens suddenly. out stepped a green fire monster. she was a little taller than you. speak of the devil and he shall appear...  
“Oh! Hi there! Sorry, I didn’t mean to almost hit you with the door.” i could hear my brother talking exuberantly in the background of the household. “nah, it’s cool. fuku, right?” i already knew who she was, but it was only mannerisms. “Yep! You’re...” for a moment, she looks like she realized something. “You’re Sans! I knew that name sounded familiar!” she mumbled the last sentence. “You know Y/n? Yeah?” she leans against the door frame. right, he thought. she had mentioned fuku once before.

“yeah. we’re... friends.” the word could have sent a single shiver up my spine. it was weird to think of a human as my friend. usually, my ‘friends’ were just people who have helped me out in tough situations. which, by the way, was never a human - before y/n. “She told me about you.” the female monster spoke with a kind, light-hearted tone. “oh... really?” the fact that she had talked to someone else about me was... a little strange. there was no lie there. then there was what followed, “Yeah. Don’t worry. I could tell by the look in her eye you’ve made an impact on her.” i listened intently. “She doesn’t usually talk to others. She’s... too independent sometimes. But, I suppose she's just used to that.” She waves off her own words. “Anyway, I’m positive you aren’t here to talk to me.” She steps aside to let me in. “Papyrus is in the living room with my dad watching the television.” i simply nod toward her.

“thanks, i appreciate it.” she nods, then walks past me outside into her yard. i go the opposite way, stepping inside. i close the main door behind me, then make my way into grillby’s living room.   
did i make an impact on her? what does that even mean really? “-OH! And then, the Hero will save ALL the monsters and humans and everyone would live HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!” papyrus’ voice was booming with excitement at whatever the conversation topic was. another smooth voice piped up. “Oh really? That DOES sound like the perfect ending.” grillby notices me as i walk through the doorway. “BROTHER!!!” papy jumps up and wraps his little bony arms around me. i simply chuckle, looking down at him as i pat the top of his skull. “hey bro, ya have a good sleepover at grillby’s?” papyrus nods his head enthusiastically, giving me a bright smile per usual. the one i aim to keep plastered on his face.

“heh. good.” i look up to meet grillby’s eyes. “Good evening, Sans.” that’s grillby for ya. he always sounded very formal. the guys pretty old. about as old as the king and queen themselves. “hey. thanks for watching him last night. ended up getting a lot done because of it.” he nods toward me. “No need to thank me. I am willing to assist in any way I can.” i sigh, the smaller skeleton finally letting go to grab his action figures. he’s had those since he got ‘em from the dump back in the underground. says they’re some of his prized possessions. though, at the time, he had a hard time even pronouncing that so it made the moment all the more memorable. 

“I do hope you know what you are doing.” grillby says suddenly. if i had lips just then, they'd be pursed. “hey paps, why don’t you go with fuku in the yard? i’m sure she’d love to hang out with such an awesome skeleton like yourself.” in an instant, papyrus scrambled together a few sentences of agreement, then skipped out the door. “i know what i’m doing.” my focus turned back toward the flame monster once i knew paps was outside. “Really? Because according to Papyrus you’ve been overworking yourself. And even then, you still barely have enough.” i groan. this talk again...

“grillby, i understand ya concern. but that doesn’t change the fact that this is how it has to be. at least until i can land a better paying job or... somethin’.” grillby just shook his head. “I know. And i’m aware there is no changing your mind. But I do think you should at least come up with a plan for this temporary arrangement.” i leaned up against the door frame, my phalanges balled up in a fist, hidden in my pockets. “At this rate, you won’t be able to afford your next payment and afford food. You are struggling. And you won’t allow any outside source of income. Even as a gift.” grillby stood to his feet. “I cannot just sit back and watch you both run yourselves into the ground.” sans lay his head up against the wooden frame. “look... i uh... i think i may have something alright.” that’s where y/n would come in. “i’m not just gonna stand around and do nothing. i’m smarter than that and you know it. just... relax please.”

grillby goes silent a moment, seemingly taking in my words as though he’d just eaten them, waiting for them to digest. “Fine. There better be an improvement, otherwise, I’m going to have to do something of my own accord.” at that, sans nodded. “fair enough...” on the topic of y/n in his head, he checked his watch. “i better get going. paps already ate?” i lift myself up, ready to start walking. “Of course.”

“i’ll be seeing ya grillbs. take care.” i started toward the front door, waving a hand back toward him. upon exiting the house, papyrus was showing fuku his toys, as though they were trophies. “ready to go pap?” i waddled my way down the porch steps. papyrus looked at me and nodded. “Sans?” fuku stopped the both of us once papyrus grabs my hand. “Could you please give this to Y/n when you see her next? I’m not sure that she’ll be coming next week to see me.” she starts rummaging around in her pants pockets. “She seemed rather... preoccupied over her call with me this afternoon. So, I’m sure you’ll have a better chance at giving it to her.” fuku pulls out a ring. 

i clasp the small piece of jewelry in my phalanges, inspecting it. she didn’t seem like the jewelry type. you’d think if you were trying to survive out almost on your own, you’d sell something like this for money. “She left it last time she was here.” i look up, papyrus squeezing my hand gently. i nod, then spoke, “i’ll get it to her. no problem.” immediately i shove the ring in my vest pocket. “let’s go pap, i got a surprise for ya tonight.” papy gleamed up at me with stars in his eyes. “A surprise?! What is it!?!?” i simply chuckled, walking past the homes once more. “it’s a surprise. ya just gotta wait and see.”

Your POV

About two hours beforehand you decided to just take a nap. You couldn’t really bring yourself to do much more. Not after that fall from last night. It was fine at first, but over time it just kept feeling worse. It made you stiffer. After looking in the mirror, you concluded that you needed to back off from too much cleaning for a little while. That was gonna be hard though, for you anyway. Because of the way you landed, it made it hard to bend over even the slightest without shooting pains. Stars you hoped nothing was broken. 

It’s now been an hour since you lied down though. You can’t sleep anymore, and you definitely need to get up soon to go over to meet Sans’ brother. After all, if you were going to make some big decision of moving in with them at some point, you’ll have had to meet them both beforehand. You won’t be riding your bike today, that’s for sure. Walking will have to do for now. You groaned, looking around the room. You weren’t wearing a shirt because of the fabric getting too caught up overtime you turned. You lazily scoop up the shirt you were wearing for today, pulling it to your chest. 

You don’t really want to get up.

You need to get up.

But you’re so tired...

But this should take priority right now.

Another groan emits from you unwillingly. You carefully sit up, the mattress squeaking slightly with your movements. You can smell food cooking outside of your room. Too tired to care, you slip on your shirt with slow movements as to not damage any more of your back. “Up ‘n’ Adam...” You groaned out, standing to your feet. You’ll take your time, sure. But you were getting to Sans’ whether your back like it or not. You slip on some sox and shoes, which - of course - takes longer than it usually does. You hadn’t hurt yourself like this in a while. Had to be... a little longer than a year ago? Your sleepy eyes stare down at the doorknob, then you place your hand on it to open. There’s... nothing on your hand...

. . .

Wait, what? Where did it go? Weren’t you wearing it already?  
You turn around, looking around at every surface. Maybe, you’d left it somewhere in here before your nap? You weren’t even sure if you had it on before you lied down. You turn back toward the door, your stiff search being unsuccessful. It’s... fine. You should have gotten rid of that thing long ago anyway. You sigh, then make your way out into the hallway. You have about 45 minutes before six. And even then, he didn’t say it had to be six on the dot. Just said anytime past six.

You automatically followed the scents coming from the kitchen, knowing you’ll have to grab something to eat of your own. At this rate, if you don’t eat as well, you might as well be starting to dig your own grave. The kitchen was lit up, causing you to squint a little. Your mother sat at the stove, watching over something in a pot. You ignored her, making your way to the fridge. Inside, you found some leftover pizza in the fridge, and you gladly grabbed two slices of that. You didn’t feel like being lazy and having cold pizza tonight, so, you put it on a paper plate then threw it in the microwave for a little bit. All while doing this, you could feel your mothers gaze on you.

Waiting for the pizza, you decided to scrounge around in the freezer for something to put against your back. There was a frozen lasagna, an ice tray, frozen pizza, and... an ice pack. Of course, it wouldn’t cover the entirety of your back, but it would suffice for now. You grab the ice pack, your fingers feeling it’s cool temperatures immediately. As you hear the microwave oven go off, you pull out the pizza and leave the kitchen without any words between you and your mom. That’s perfect. You stare down at the ice pack, then grab one of your light-weight jackets. Wrapping around your lower waist, you then drop the icepack down your shirt. You wince at the sudden touch of something cold on your back, but let it go. Now, with the icepack staying in place on your back, you head out the door with pizza in your mouth. 

_ _ _

Upon entering the trailer park, you were starting to get butterflies in your stomach. You didn’t know this boy. Was he like Sans? Sorta chill and his guard up? Is this kid like... a toddler? Or was this a full-grown child. If... that made sense. You’d just eaten that pizza, but now you felt like throwing it back up out of anxiety. You have to get a hold of yourself! You’ve met new people before. Hell, you met Sans! So why should this be nerve-wracking? Your hands were clenching onto the insides of your pants pockets, your knuckles probably turning white. 

Sans’ place is only about 3 houses down, so once you were stopped in front of their house... you froze in place.  
You want to make a good impression, which is saying something because with most people in this town you could care less. You’d already gained a reputation, and it wasn’t a very pretty one. You hear voices inside. You check your phone, obviously procrastinating. It’s currently 6:20. Your back slows you down a lot...

Shoving your phone back into your pocket, you walked forward toward the steps. “Just... rip it off like a band-aid.” You murmured to yourself. At the top of the makeshift porch, you took one hand from your pocket then quickly landed a few quiet knocks on the front. Hurriedly, you shoved your hand right back into your pocket. The voices stop, and you hear footsteps. The door opens, Sans standing there. You put on your mask almost immediately. “H-Hey! Long time no see stranger!” He smirks, snorts then opens the door more for me. “heya beanie. come on in.” he motions with that welcoming smirk of his. You step inside, immediately seeing the place more lit up than before. 

The television set was playing some kids cartoon and a small group of toys lied on the table. “now uh... paps is in his room right now. said he wanted to look his best for the ‘surprise’ i was showing him.” You wouldn’t have labeled yourself as a ‘surprise’. “he’s a very upbeat kid, lots of energy too so, fair warning.” He points to you. He seemed to be in a content mood by the looks of it. “he’ll love ya, don’t worry.” You hum in response, staring down the doorway. “hey...” You turn your attention back to Sans. “how’s ya back doing?” You took a deep breath. “It uh... hurts. Quite a bit actually, haha...” 

That wasn’t funny though. 

Your backside didn’t find it funny either as it ached. The ice pack was still on your lower back. “that bad? ya think ya gonna need some medical attention or-” “I’ll be fine. Just needs time, like I said. I expected the stiffness to happen honestly.” You bite at the inside of your cheek in thought. “The only thing that really bugs me about it the most is that it makes me unbearably slow about everything.” You chuckle, he just looks toward the hallway and nods. You should take the ice pack out for now. You very carefully keep one hand behind you, the other untying the lazy knot of your jacket. Sans watches curiously as the pack drops from your shirt and into your hand. It was still kind of cold, but you were sure that you wouldn’t be doing your skin any favors by keeping it there like that for too long. “you walked here with that back there?” he chuckles after you nod. “guess that’s one way to-”

“OKAY! I’M READY!” A booming voice zoomed out from the hallway, causing both of your heads to snap toward its sound. A small skeleton had been the one to run out. He was shorter than Sans, as expected, but you still couldn’t be sure how old he was exactly. Definitely not a toddler though. He was going to continue talking, but noticing you in the room, he went silent. “hey bro, i’d like ya to meet someone.” He was wearing that red scarf you’d seen before, khaki shorts that reached the knees, and a white t-shirt that read ‘cool dude’ on the front. The lettering looked to be homemade though. The butterflies welled up again. He walked over. “papyrus, this is y/n. she’s a friend of mine.” You know how to deal with kids, Y/n. Do your thing already. Blinking a few times, you stooped down in a crouching position. Your back didn’t appreciate that, but you didn’t care all that much. “Hi there! You must be Papyrus.” He looks to you, then Sans, then back to you. “My name is Y/N! It’s so nice to finally meet you...!” He seemed to relax a little at your introduction. You held out your hand for a handshake. He shook it lightly. “Y-Yes! Hello, Y-N! I did not realize my brother had such a polite friend!” You chuckled at the small remark. “It is important after all...” 

“...especially if i’m meeting such a cool dude!” He perked up right away. “Nyeh heh HEH!!” An orange, barely noticeable, tint reaches his skull. Very prideful. “Do you like puzzles?!?!” Papyrus jumped up and dragged you away into his room before you could even consider answering that. Sans wasn’t kidding when he said the kids energetic! Immediately Papyrus was eager to show you what he liked to do, what he did every day, what toys were his favorite...  
It was honestly adorable the amount of passion he held with every word. “heh, why don’t you show her your favorite puzzle so far?” Sans watched in the door, surveying your conversations. 

Papyrus gasps. He sits you down on the floor, grabbing a box about the size of their TV. He sat down across from me, humming a sweet tune. Papyrus tosses the lid off to the side. You peek inside and see all kinds of little contraptions and smaller boxes of puzzle pieces. First, he pulls out a small, colorful block. The rubies cube, of course. “It’s IMPOSSIBLE to choose just one favorite!” He spoke messing around with the cube. “But if I were to HAVE to choose... IT WOULD BE THIS ONE!!” He hopped in place. He hands it to you. “You try! I beat it every time I try, since I AM so awesome and all!!” You grab the Rubik's cube with a gentleness. “You know... when I was little, I loved messing around with these.” You twist at the cube a little. “Back then I was never able to figure them out, so I doubt I’d be able to now.” You watch each color pass by either up, down, right, or left. The cube was jumbled up. “It just takes practice!! Maybe I could show you sometime!!” You hand him the cube back, which he takes. “You know what, I’d love that...!” You give him a sincere smile, and he returns it even brighter. This boy... was an absolute delight. “well, i’ll let you two hang out. i’m gonna go work on some stuff.” You look back at the skeleton. “Don’t overdo it.” He smirks a little, then waves you off. 

“relax~ nothing too hefty just financial stuff.” With that, he walked off. “Hey... Y/n?” You looked back to Papyrus. “Yeah? What’s up?” He stared down at the cube, it was now almost completely done. But, he wasn’t moving to continue. “Can...Can you help me... understand something??” This looked to be a more serious talk coming on the way. With an 8-year-old. Oh boy... “I can try my best... What’s wrong?” He fumbles with the cube a bit more. “So, Sans doesn’t really... like... people.” This was already going somewhere beyond no return. “I mean, there are some monsters he knows. Like Grillby! But...” His voice was softer now. It gave you a pang of sorrow. This poor boy...   
You've said the same thing about Sans...

Ha... Ha....

... That wasn’t funny.

“...He especially doesn’t care for humans.” The cube is completely finished, to which he places it back into the box. “And then, just a few days ago... he seemed to be in a good mood!” Papyrus re-sealed the box with its lid, placing sliding the box beside him. “And the day after that. And the day after that!!” He crawls closer. “Then, I overheard your name today when my brother was talking to miss fuku! And now? Here you are...!” Sans and Fuku were... talking about me? “My point is... he seems to really enjoy your company!! And... It’s nice seeing him even just slightly less sour over all these years...” Your heart... “So... I need to know...” His voice had gotten as quiet as you’d ever heard it. “...You’re going to be leaving his life, aren’t you...?” The question threw you back a bit. “Meeting me, it wasn’t your idea. I could see it on your face when you first saw me earlier today!!” This is a misunderstanding. “Please, no matter what you plan to do... Stay...!” The last word rang in your mind like an echo.

“i want you to consider staying with us.” Those words. Sans' words.

The skeleton was teary-eyed, pleading you to just... be around Sans. Wow...  
You’d be lying if you said you weren’t on the verge of crying yourself. It hit home way too much.  
“Papyrus...” You sniffle. “Ha.... Ha....”

. . . But it still wasn’t funny.

“You... really think I’d up and leave him like that?” You fight back tears, as hard as possible. “I know you’re too young to understand why I wouldn’t, but I just want you to know... You won’t have to worry about that.” Looking up, your eyes are glossy with potential tears. You refuse to let them show. He smiles. A bright one. The brightest one yet even. “Friends don’t leave friends behind. Got that?” But you didn’t need a response, as the small skeleton hugs you tightly, sitting in your lap. 

“Thank you... Y/N...”


	9. The Stone Cold Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you want to want again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH BOY. Okay. Yes, I know. I'm a week late. Things went to shit really fast.  
> First it was an upcoming trip I had planned for family reasons being cancelled and rescheduled to who knows when, then I got a bunch of projects to do all at once (which I still haven't completely finished), and right as I was going to work on this my laptop charger broke and it took me a couple days to get a new one so I could actually write ANYTHING.
> 
> It's been a very stressful two weeks.  
> Hopefully, this won't happen again.
> 
> This chapter is over 5,000 words long, so hopefully, that makes up for it. It's a good story arch as well.  
> Emotional junk! A good bit of it actually!
> 
> Again, I apologize in advance for the delay. I'm trying my best I swear T_T
> 
> Without further ado,
> 
> Enjoy~!!

Your POV

After that evening, you knew you wouldn’t have it in you to deny Sans’ offer. You cursed at yourself.  
You’d gotten deeper than intended. Why? You don’t know why. You just... got a little carried away. You’d have to talk through this with Sans. You really would. Stars, you almost cried back there... You haven’t cried in a while. Everything just kind of... numbed out. You weren’t ready for that. You weren’t ready for the emotional rollercoaster. You weren’t ready for emotions! You clonked your forehead against the small table in your room. It’s at least 11:30 now. You stayed for a while longer, both you and Papyrus not speaking a word about the scenario to Sans. You just want to drop everything and quit already. No more responsibility, no more of other people depending on you, no more emotions, just nothingness. 

...Okay, that was a little too much.

You lie your face flat on its side, now staring at the device beside you. Sans had said he didn’t have an actual phone to use, but that you could call him if necessary at his work. No way in hell you’d be disturbing his work. He needed that more than you momentarily. Though, if you go through with this... you’d be needing it just as much. You groaned, shutting your eyes in frustration. You should go to sleep. That’s the smart thing to do! So why don't you just get up and go lay down? Your back hurts. You should really do something about...

You’re going stir-crazy. Your days for the last two weeks have been strange. Stranger than normal. So, a skeleton boy told you that you had “imprinted” on him or something. Told you he wanted to be friends. Then told you he wanted you to move in with him. Now? His insanely cute brother is pleading for you to stay for the sake of said older brother. You said some things. Did you mean them? Was it worth it? You seemed to be having a full-blown mental breakdown of some sort. You want to leave. You want to stay. You want to leave. You want to stay. You want to leave. You want to-

You stop, opening your eyes after realizing they were shut so tightly that it was giving you a headache. Your phone was ringing...? Your attention shoots toward that. Your phone... was ringing...  
You quickly stumble over to your bed and pick it up, answering it. It’s unusual for anyone to call you. “H-Hello?” You said, a little thankful for the sudden break of thought. “Hey, Y/n! Sorry, I know it’s late. I shouldn’t even be calling you this late. But I felt it was important.” Fuku was on the other end. “Oh, hey Fuku. It’s fine. Couldn’t sleep anyways.” You attempt to wave off her concern. “What is it?”

“So, first off, I wanted to talk about... Sans.” And there goes your train of thought again. Panicking. “W-What about him?” You felt yourself gripping the nearest pillow. “As you know, he isn’t exactly in the best of places right now. I just talked to him today, overheard him with my dad.” Her voice seemed to be full of concern. “I just wanted to make sure... to make sure nothing bad going on. For either of you, I mean.” She’s nervous now. “Not that I’m trying to imply anything! It’s just... I’m just making sure you aren’t doing anything stupid.” You wanted to bang your head against the wall. “Do something stupid? Like what exactly?” You lied your head down on the pillow. “Overwork yourself? You do it a lot sometimes.” She said that as though it were obvious. 

“You called me to make sure I wasn’t overworking myself because of...Sans?” You were definitely missing some context here. “It just got me thinking was all! Don’t judge! I’m trying to be a nice friend!” She scolds you, and you sigh. “I know I just... Things are... difficult at the moment. I probably shouldn’t go into full detail yet. But I definitely will when I make my decision.” Which might not be too far away now. At all. You hear her repeat your sigh. “Yeah... Okay...” You hear a click sound from her end. “Just be careful!” She warns you. You chortle a little, “Yeah, yeah... I will.” 

“Now that that’s settled. I also figured I might as well tell you that I have a good meeting spot picked out for that club I was telling you about. I think it’d be a nice place for us to meet up in the meantime instead of just my place.” She explains, which you are more than welcoming of the topic change. “Oh? Where?” You situated your body onto your side for the sake of your back. “I’ll show you next time you come over, okay?” She says. You nod, but then realize that she can’t see that. “Alright, fair enough.”

“I’ll... talk to you soon?” She says that in the form of a question. It was a question. “Yeah, soon.” It goes silent a moment, you watched the door with a blank stare. “Bye...” She says, to which you say back and the call ends. You set your phone down on the small table, ready to just accept the fact that tonight was going to be rough. Fuku could wait. For now at least. You’ll make a decision within the next couple of days. In the meantime, it probably best that I get to know the skeletons a little better. Maybe find a job. 

...And possibly get my back checked out.

_ _ _

The next day was casual. You stayed home, did a household chore here and there, and looked into some available job openings for kids your age. It’s hard finding a job at 15, but it seems like once your 16 everything just hunky dory? The logic behind some of this was a little weird but... nothing you can really do about that. The day after that, you got a call from Sans’ work in the late morning. You had been working on simply icing your back. The pain and swelling have died down exponentially. You strongly believe you won’t be needing any professional medical attention. Which is good for many reasons! 

“Hello?” You answered your phone, in the midst of holding the ice pack to the top half of your back this time. “hey, sorry ‘bout calling ya suddenly. understand you can get busy sometimes. you watch as your mother leaves the house, seemingly in a hurry? Strange, but not important. “Hey! You’re fine. Not in the middle of anything too bad right now just...” The feeling of condensation dripping down your back sends you a shiver down your spine. “...chilling out.” You snicker, and you can almost hear the interest in his voice. “heh, sounds exciting.” He says, “it’s ice to know you aren’t too overworked.” A smirk comes to your face. “Yeah. There’s snow way it could get any better.” This was surprisingly fun, you took a mental note to look into more of these puns. Especially since you can hear him laughing over the phone. “i glove the fact that you can appreciate a good joke.” You laugh this time. “it’s a winter pun-derland.”

“You’ve got to be flaking me! I’m all yeti too deep in.” He seems to snort on the other end. “okay okay, fair enough. you win for plow.” You can’t believe how many puns he came up with. “i’m not even really sure what you’re doing but i understood exactly what you meant there.” Your smile was big as you stared out the kitchen window. “Ha, well at least it didn’t go unnoticed.” You give up on holding the phone and the ice pack, and put the pack down for now. “right, so...” He sighs, “papyrus really likes you from what i can tell. he wants ya to come over again too.” The question was, for himself or for Sans? “i didn’t wanna bother ya if you were busy, just figured i’d ask for him though.” This... could be an opportunity to talk to Sans about the moving thing. Of course, once Papyrus goes to bed that is. Otherwise, you wouldn’t want to talk about that in front of him. It’s too soon and yet too late at the same time.

“It’s been pretty mild here lately. I’m totally up to come over. Just give me a time, date, and place.” You start rummaging through the fridge, finding grapes to snack on in the meantime. “well, if it’s not too much trouble, tomorrow afternoon around 3 is available. i’ll be getting off a bit earlier today anyways to talk to the guy who owns the park.” He must have some arrangement going on with I'm, to be able to live there without a legal adult. “though, you should probably meet us at the playground, be an easier walk on ya.” Sans understands you aren’t as fast even with your back slowly getting better. It was tantalizing, but you made do no matter how much it frustrated you. “Sounds like a plan to me short stack! See you there!” 

Little did you know, you’d be making your decision a lot faster than originally planned.

_ _ _

That afternoon, I was finally able to ride my bike again without excruciating pain. Just, no intense pedaling or anything, which you would not plan on either way. You make it there by 2:58, proudly of course. As you slowed your bike down at the entrance to get a good look around the park, you see kids ranging from monsters to humans of all kinds around. It was... a nice sight to see. It makes you realize suddenly that you hadn’t really paid much attention to what was happening politically around them. It seems as though things are okay, but you could never truly know by simply glancing at a diverse playground. Since bikes were allowed on the park, you simply went at a slow pace on the sidewalk. 

This park, in particular, was decent in size. It had two separate playgrounds, both with different structures, tubes, and colors. There was an area for picnicking and a small field area for people who were there to just have a nice afternoon lunch or birthday party. Then there was the sidewalk that went around the entirety of it. It was definitely one of the better ones that the government had funded. It was especially populated because it was summer, and it’s surrounded by a lot of neighborhoods. “WHOA!!!” You hear that high pitched voice of Papyrus’. And search around rapidly, stopping the bike in its tracks. The small skeleton could be seen running up to you from the second playground, Sans trailing behind calmly. “Your bike is so cool!! It even has a basket!” He inspected the bike with an energetic and positive gaze. 

“It’s not that great. Definitely kinda old, but it gets the job done.” You shrug, getting off so he could fully take it in. “I’ve never ridden a bike before. Or a car. I WANT A CAR AS COOL AS MY BED!!” Papyrus jumps up, and you chuckle at his thoughts. “A car? That’s crazy talk. You gotta be a bit older for a car!!” He seems to take this into consideration. “But, tell you what, you get to that age and I bet you’ll get the coolest car imaginable!” Your gaze trails to Sans who has finally caught up, just as Papyrus is trying to climb on the bike, to which you keep the thing balanced as he does. “heya.” he gives you a small wave. “Hey.” You give him a content smile. 

“How does it work?!” Papyrus asks you, now sitting on the seat, gripping the handlebars that are just a little too far away for him. “Well, you have to be tall enough to ride this one.” You comment. “But, if you had one your size, you’d use your legs and feet to pedal these down here.” He follows your hands as you motion toward the pedals. “You have to have good balance though.” You make that part very clear. You’d hate to have influenced him to do anything to hurt himself in that regard. “What?! Wait...” He inspects the contraption, still sitting on the seat. “the pedals make the tires move, so you can go forward.” Sans begins elaborating for him. “but if ya can’t stay balanced on top, then there’s no going anywhere.” You nod in agreement.

“Awe man!! Well, one day I, the great Papyrus, will ride alongside you!! Just as cool as usual of course!!” He exclaims valiantly toward you. You snort, “I look forward to that!” Sans helps Papyrus off the bike, to which you lock up on the closest bike rack. Afterward, the three of you walk back, watching and listening to Papyrus. Sans sits on a bench, as Papyrus sees something on the playground that he must immediately run toward. “Wish I had that.” You mumble, leaning on the back of the bench just behind it. “i second that notion.” You look toward him with an exhale. “So, everything go well with the landlord?” You asked him. He looks back to you with a shrug. 

“suppose so. could have gone a lot worse.” That wasn’t exactly reassuring though. It was definitely an avoidance of a straightforward answer. Obvious. “Oh, well, hopefully, it all works out in the end.” You stare back at the playground, watching Papyrus talk to another monster child. They were a little bit smaller than him but - according to Sans - that’s because Papyrus is taller than the average height for a skeleton monster. “hopefully...” Sans says in a thoughtful tone. Well, guess that means it’s time to get down to the talk you’ve been meaning to have. Hooray...

“Can we talk about something?” Your voice lowers a bit. He seems to notice this, taking it into account. “yeah. what’s up?” You still kept your gaze on the playground to be sure Papyrus didn’t come running up all of a sudden. “So, about this whole... moving in debacle...” You began as you gathered your thoughts. “...I think we need to really discuss this together, rather than making the decision one-sided... per say.” He hums in thought at that. “That is if your offer still stands.” You stress. He takes a deep breath inward, then turns around almost completely sideways on the wooden bench. “fair enough. what is it you want to talk about... specifically though...?” The conversation has started off very awkward. 

Specifically? Where to start?! “For starters... there’s no way you want to simply take me in because we’re officially friends now.” You finally look directly at Sans, realizing his own gaze was on you beforehand. “You have to believe I’m going to provide you some sort of... benefit. Am I wrong?” His expression was almost unreadable. Though, there was this twinge on the bridge between his eyes. Like he’d scrunched up his face at his own thought process. “okay, yeah... but the fact that i picked you has many reasons behind it. not all for self-benefit.” He explains. You nod understandingly. Sans was smart. You could definitely see him being manipulative just so Papyrus could grow up happy. He’s protective. However, he’s also a teddy bear who has this big heart and doesn’t know how to deal with it. 

“Okay, so... there’s a good starting point. How would I benefit you here?” He lifts a single arm against the top of the bench, then proceeds to lean his head against it, still looking at only you. He sighs, “well, let’s say you move in. and, this is all hypothetical.” You nod once more. “you move in, you’d mainly be working. on my own, i have a hard time balancing everything. from taking care of paps, working shifts as much as possible, fees, etcetera.” Working. Makes sense. Working could be beneficial for both of you really. Well, obviously since you’d be sharing some expenses for things like food and basic needs. “it’d also save me a lot of trouble if i ever need to do something out of the house without papyrus. but, that shouldn’t happen too often.” 

“So, for the most part, providing financially. Alright.” That was good for you because that gives you some experience. Might come in handy for the future. “would that... be an issue.” You immediately start shaking your head. “Course not. I just need to know so I can take some things into account.” He nods, his skull rubbing against his t-shirt sleeve loosely. It was so nice outside today. There were birds singing in the distance and flowers blooming - or already bloomed. A nice day for a game of catch or a long walk. Of course, you have priorities. “what about yours?” He asks suddenly, bringing your focus back toward the conversation. “My what?” Sans took a single glance back to check on Papyrus, then back to you. “your benefits. you seem smart enough to know not to just up and leave somewhere without a definite reason.” His features were calm and mindful. Ready to soak up every word within every sentence that came from your mouth. 

“Well, the obvious would be getting out of my... situation.” You note, to which agrees with a head nod. “However, if I think accepting could offer me a chance to get started on providing for myself, and others in this case. Gives me a good sense of direction.” You shrug nonchalantly. “What I want to do with my life, where I wanna go, who I want to be involved with... Make sense?” Again, he merely nods. “I can’t get a job for the life of me. As I’ve mentioned before, this town is weird. Things happen here that most other towns would take heart to. Bad things.” At this point, you felt like you were giving him your thought process. When you stop a moment, you notice he looks... intrigued. Listening to everything you had to say. So, you continued, “And with a weird town comes some weird people.” You notice that this was another picture perfect moment. Looking at Sans from exactly the right angle, him seemingly so calm and curious in this setting. If you had a picture of that, maybe enhanced the color saturation a bit and gave it a dreamy or wispy effect... 

Off track, Y/n. 

“And I don’t mean people like... my parents. I mean people like...” You thought for a moment. “...well people like business owners. Not all, but there are quite a few around here who don’t approve of hiring me for a variety of reasons.” You sigh, but before you can continue, Sans butts in. “what reasons? can’t be any worse than being an unknown species that emerged from the inside of a mountain. right?” He says, sprinkling in a bit of humor. Which, admittedly, makes you smirk. “You’d be surprised...!” By the looks of that expression on his face, you’d say he’s confused by that statement. “Some humans tend to base their words or actions on their beliefs.” 

“Whether it be religion, politics, morale... You name it.” You break his gaze if only for a moment, to look up at the clouds. There weren’t too many out. They were the cliche puffy kind that always seemed to make the sky look more lively. “so, you can’t get hired because... people have beliefs?” He knew that wasn’t the answer. You roll your eyes at him and say, “From a far away perspective yes.” Your staring into those fuzzy pupils again. “Some won’t hire me because I’m a girl, some won’t because I’m too young, and others...” The majority more like. “...the others just don’t like me.” You’ll leave it at that for now. “just... straight up don’t like you?” He seems to either smell the partial lie or legitimately want a better explanation. 

“i mean, you’re almost always on time, your independent, your bright, you’ve got one hell of a sense of humor...” The flattery was too much as you place your palm to his face. “Geez, buy me dinner first, yeah?” You remove your palm, and he chuckles light-heartedly. The smirk that comes to your face falls almost immediately afterward. “Look, I’ve got a bit of a reputation in this town. And it’s not a happy one either. Not dangerous or anything, but... it’s affected my life a great deal.” You take a deep breath, looking down at the old wood of the park bench. “Nothing to do with how well I may work, how good my attendance would be, or even how nice my customer service is. It’s just a big ball of... of...” What was the word? It was like a big ball of... It’s on the tip of your tongue...!

Sans is silent. “A big ball of past mistakes?” It wasn’t exactly what you were looking for, but it would do in the meantime. Again, he checks on Papyrus, and this time you do too. He’s currently playing freeze tag with a bunny monster and what appears to be a deer monster. “Does that affect your decision negatively?” You ask him suddenly.  
It takes only a moment for him to decide. “no. not if what you say is true. it’s in the past right?” You nod. “then i’ll help ay find someplace around here. not that big a deal.” He shrugs, almost with perfect timing as Papyrus comes running up. “SANS!!” He almost trips running up over a stray rock. “careful there. the ground around here has had a rocky time this past couple of days.” Papyrus groans. “Brother NO!!” The small - now aggravated - skeleton sits beside him. “what? it’s a concrete fact.” You smile down at the both of them. 

“Please, No!!” 

“awe, come on pap. i thought that one was a real gem.”

“WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?!”

“Guys guys...” You settle them both down, but a devilish smirk immediately comes up.  
“You’re really making me a rock in a hard place.” “IT NEVER ENDS!!!” Papyrus erupted in annoyance, while Sans erupted in laughter. “that was rock solid, beanie.” At this point, Papyrus could no longer put his frustration into words and just groaned as loud as possible. “Well, you did give me some stepping stones.” 

“nah, i bet you could still go on using a clean slate.”

“...”

“I wouldn’t take yourself for Granite short stack.” 

“...”

“it’s easy once you learn to come out of your shale and stop holding back.”

“?!”

“Is there an app-rocks-imate amount of time that takes?”

“!?!?”

“not really. it all depends on how concrete your goals are.”  
“ENOUGH!! BOTH OF YOU!! NYEEEEEHHH!!!”

At that point, were both in a fit of giggles. “Alright, no more.” You say. But Sans has something else to say.  
“YOU SWEAR?!” His voice was booming, but surely once he calms down it’ll go down as well. “yes pap. i guess you could say it’s...” 

But Papyrus sighs.

“...crystal clear.”

You chuckle, Papyrus places his skull in his hands with regret and annoyance. “alright, now i’m done.” Sans’ structure relaxes once more. “Good!!” Papyrus stood up on the bench, Sans clearly keeping a watch on him to make sure he wouldn’t fall over and bust his skull open. “Y/n!! When we get home, do you want to help me with my movie?! It’s about this SUPER cool dude who saves people from burning buildings... OH, and he also really likes puzzles and hugs!!” The description, you knew, was just him but superhero form. It was an interesting request, to say the least. “Why not?! Sounds like fun!” 

And with that, your night was set! The three of you walked home, Papyrus talking about all the ideas he had for his movie. Said he was going to name it “Cool Dude Saves the Day.” It was absolutely cliche and incredibly adorable. For a couple hours, things went as expected. Papyrus had you be the camerawoman, posing dramatically practically every five minutes. Sometimes less. Sans kept commenting that Papyrus should pose more, to which Papyrus agreed. It quickly became a photo shoot. You couldn’t contain yourself once Sans starting saying things like “work it paps.” “ya got this.” “handsome.” “gorgeous.” You helped the skeletons cook dinner, to which you politely declined to eat because you honestly didn’t want to be eating their food. After, you’re still a guest in someone else’s home.

Even so, It was an adorable evening and you wouldn’t have wanted it any different. By eight, the small skeleton was pretty sleepy and ready for bed. So, you watched from the door as Sans read him a children's book, the both of you taking in the silence that came as Papyrus drooped to sleep softly. With a deep sigh, Sans finally stands up. “ready to resume our conversation?” he says, almost with sorrow. Which, by the way, breaks your heart...  
“Yeah...” Staring down at the sleeping monster child once more before Sans turns out the light, you begin to think about the things he had said to you a few days ago. Now, comparing those words to today. 

You’d had a lot of fun with Papyrus and Sans today. I mean, let’s say you did move in. It’s definitely worth noting that this wasn’t every day. You’d be working, therefore, you’d be at work most of your day. Providing for them. For yourself.  
Like a... Nope, nope, nope. Your thoughts are already straying from the main point. Sans plops himself down on the couch with a soft grunt. “where were we?” You sit beside him this time. “I believe we were at the part where... I asked you if my reputation might affect your decision negatively.”

“to which i responded with a no.” He winks at you, but there isn’t much energy behind it. You... really want to move in. But there’s so much to consider... But this should be a collective decision. Sans suddenly changes facial expressions. It’s almost surprising. “oh right. i meant to give you this. ran into your friend, fuku.” He digs into his left pocket. “said you had left it at her place accidentally.” He pulls out your ring. Your eyes widen. You don’t remember even taking it off! You hardly ever make it off...! He hands it to you, and you resist the urge to snatch it away. It’s... sentimental. “Thank you... That uh... I knew I hadn’t lost it for good.” You say something to fill in what would probably be empty space. 

“no problem. anyways...” he clearly didn’t want to avoid the main issue either. “uh... i don’t know your past. and i tend to be a rather good judge of character, or so i’ve been told.” He mumbles that last bit. “you haven’t hurt anyone, you’re a good person. i wouldn’t have asked you to move in if i thought you weren’t.” He... made a valid point actually. You didn’t actually think about it that way... even so, it doesn’t change your overall concern. “look, i jus’ want you ta be honest.” His words seemed a bit more tired and slow. Not using pronunciation correctly very much. It made you feel for him. He needs you. That much was obvious. He can’t handle all of this by himself. He’s 15, he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. It all hits home.

“I want to move in.” You say, followed up with a small sigh. “really?” You respond with a nod, but he could see the look on your face clearer than crystal. “It’s just that... there’s too much to think about. Expenses, arrangements, obstacles... It’s been nagging at me for days.” You were being completely honest too. “I can’t decide which choice is the right choice. Which one could benefit more people in more ways? Which one would be the biggest of help?”

“well, there’s yer problem, beanie.” He’s serious now. He sits up, getting closer to you so your focus was all on him and his words. “ya focusing too much on the little details. no one said any of this was gonna be easy, no matter what you decide.” You bite nervously at the inside of your cheek. “and that right choice is whatever ya choose in that end. but in that middle of it all, there ’s no right or wrong its jus’ ... choices.” Words of wisdom. Easier said than done. “I know...”  
But he wasn’t done. “if ya really wan’ help makin’ a decision, think of it this way...” He adjusts himself in his seat. “...don’t choose what you think will make others happy. this is entirely your decision. it shouldn’t be made up by me, by ya parents, by the people who degrade you or even ya closest friends. do...” His voice lowers itself as he realizes it’s getting higher. “...do what makes you happy. what makes you feel comfortable, and what you want. this is your life.” 

You took every word to heart. He was correct. You should do what you want. What do you want? What you want...  
What DO you want? You're so used to thinking about what you need. The difference between want and need sort of fogged up the moment you decided to take control of things around the house. What you want...?  
You want to take pictures again. Shooting amazing sunsets and rises, picture-perfect moments. You want a picture of Sans’ tongue. What you want... You want to get out of that house. It’s made you cold and miserable over the years. And so alone... You want a future. You want friends...  
You want a family, maybe even?

“I want... I want nights like these.” You finally spoke out loud. “Ones where I can come home and just be cared about. Where I can build real relationships with people rather than just living with them. I want to... Hell, I want...” You couldn’t stop yourself. In retrospect, you sounded a little selfish. But you hadn’t been selfish in so SO long... You need just an ounce of selfishness. Something to make you feel better about everything. “I want to feel like I’m living. Not surviving. And I can’t do it alone. I can’t... I... I...” You let out a shaky breath. “I want... this.” Your voice had shrunken down to merely a soft mumble. You were hugging your knees, completely unaware that you were even doing it. “I want to stay here.” You stared at the blank screen of the television. You feel Sans move again. “then take it. take the leap. do what you want.” His voice was normal. “stay.” And with that last word, there was a croak in his voice. One that hadn’t been meant for release. You look up at him. He’s looking right back at you. You simply nod. “...Okay.”


	10. The Rain Looks Thoughtful Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the rain comes down– but their thoughts and worries come up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT. This is uh... a lot to go over ^_^;
> 
> 1) I apologize deeply for the wait. Hopefully the storm will calm and everything will get settled, but for now, I'm not sure how frequent the updates will be. They might be more sporadic than anything really. But we will have to see. 
> 
> 2) I've teamed up with the lovely SG (SarcasticallyGenuine) to help better the thought process and structure of these chapters. Nothing has been edited that has made it to the story just yet, but with time things should start looking MUCH better. 
> 
> 3) The next chapter is going to be– what I call– a "Bonus Chapter." These aren't pertinent to the story in any way, but they're a fun little break and it gives us more time to write and look over the chapters that ARE pertinent to the plot.
> 
> 4) So, I have a Tumblr xD I've actually had this account for a little bit, but I never really used it or anything much. If you'd like to follow me or whatever– ask me questions... The link is below in the endnotes.
> 
> OKAY! I believe that's all. Just bear with us!
> 
> Oh and also...
> 
> Enjoy~

Your POV

After that night, the both of you had decided that it be best to give it a few days to move in. That way both of you could work out some stuff. Arrangements, schedules, packing, etc. After your almost full mental breakdown, you decided to walk home. Sans insisted it was late, and that you shouldn’t be out. Either way, you went. And didn’t have any trouble except a little paranoia. Other than that, time passed. 

It was only after a day that you really started taking everything into account. It was all weighing down on you the closer it was coming to moving in. Sans had just called you a few hours ago from his work telling you that he had a schedule worked out already and that he just had to work a couple other things out before he was ready. You would have been impressed if he were able to get it all worked out in just one day. You had only briefly looked into jobs and packed a couple things. You didn’t want to bring too much, because there was limited space. Nor did you really need too much. You had a suitcase for clothes, and then a box or two for personal items like pictures, knick-knacks, etc. 

You were suddenly thinking about your parents more than you’d like to admit. You were finally doing it. Leaving. For good. You can move on with your life. Well, for the most part anyway. There was still the issue with schooling. Once the summer was over, you wouldn’t be able to keep going with lessons because... well this is you running away. If your doing lessons but not with your parents, teachers will ask questions. No, you’d have to come up with something for that at a later date. This was now.

This... is what you needed. What you wanted.

Anyway, you’d be giving up on your parents is the point. No more playing it nice and sticking around. You love them, but they can’t seem to show you the same love in return. Whether they do or not, there’s no connection. Goodbye freeloading, hello hard work. 

The work wasn’t the problem.   
It’s... the guilt.   
Would they miss you? Would they care? Would they feel guilty themselves? 

In a way, you hoped it would be some sort of wake up call for both parties. You haven’t even talked to Fuku about any of this yet. You don’t know why. You’re just in this rut of just constant unsureness. It’s nerve-wracking!

You stared at the closet, pursing your lips in thought. It was a little bland. Just storage stuff really. But it’s still yours. Left behind. Probably forgotten eventually. You really needed to do something before you drive yourself up the wall. With that last thought, you decide to take your own advice. 

You began unpacking the closet, looking through old stuff. Most of it you knew wasn’t sentimental. Blankets, the occasional children toy or drawing, random junk. You pull out all the big stuff first that was easily accessible. Those blankets and comforters- ideally. There were 4 just stacked in there. One was one of your old ones from when you were little. It no longer fits you properly, but - sadly - almost. Another two were just spares that we keep in case of extremely cold weather. The last one you recognized as a baby blanket.

You were tempted to keep it, but you realized that keeping it would only mess with your emotions and decisions more. That was the last thing you needed. You set those aside, knowing they won’t be of use to you. There was a rolling caddy, that looked mainly translucent, warping the image of anything that may be inside by only a little bit. It had about ten drawers. Most of which were filled with blank papers, writing utensils, full notebooks, and just random junk like rubber bands or dead batteries. 

Useless. 

You roll that beside the blankets. After going through the entirety of the closet, you stumble upon the box you had been least wanting to inspect. If you’d thought the blanket would bring you into a trip down to memory lane, this was bound to throw you through some sort of loop. 

Do you... really have to go through this? It wasn’t a particularly large one. Slightly bigger than the shoebox you used for your camera parts. Maybe you could just... bring it along without opening it? But then, what’s the point of bringing it at all? You should go through it. You groan a little out loud, opening the box as though you were ripping off a particularly rough looking band-aid.

Inside was just as you remembered. Pictures. A good portion of them. And, of course, a little disposable camera. The thing should probably be... well, disposed of. You took some pretty crappy pictures with it, but it was fun for what it was. There were pictures of you that you had taken personally. Those you didn’t much care for, but they weren’t hated. Then there were the ones that had you the most. Old ones that were taken of you, your mother and father altogether. 

You pick up the first one in the small stack. You’re sitting on your mom's lap, smiling. She’s smiling too. What a sight to see nowadays. Your both sitting on the front porch of the house, your father must be the one taking the photo.   
Figures. You pick up the entirety of the stack. It wasn’t incredibly thick, but enough so that it could be considered a short book. Not quite a novel, but almost. 

There was one of simply you swinging on the swings at the park. The one you had just gone to with the skeletons not too long ago. 

Another with your father lighting the candles on a birthday cake. There were only 3 candles on top, and it looked homemade. 

Oh! This one was one of your mother and father together before you were even born...

So many good ones from so long ago. 

You frowned. You’d keep these. No way you’d have the heart to throw them out or just leave them. You shake out of memory lane, shoving everything back in the box and shutting the lid a little harder than you had been wanting. The box was placed on your table, then you proceeded to put everything else that you weren’t taking back in the closet. 

Once that was done, you opened up your suitcase and gathered all the clothes you were taking. You packed at least three weeks worth. That would be perfectly fine, especially if you’re doing laundry every week or so. You didn’t pack anything for hygiene just yet since you would still have at least a couple of days before you actually left. 

Stuffing the suitcase beside the table. You’d pack all the non-clothing items the day before you leave.   
You hear shuffling from out in the hall. That must be your mom going into the laundry room. It’s probably around that time of the week. You’d done yours yesterday so you could pack what you wanted anyway. You let a sigh escape you, staring at the suitcase. You’re... not sure what to do anymore. You could clean... But that doesn’t sound ideal. What’s the point? It’s... technically not suppose to be your problem, right? So, you deserve a calm before the storm... right?

No cleaning.

You could... actually you can’t work on your camera. You’ve gifted that job to Sans. It makes you wonder - briefly - if he’s actually started on it yet. 

No camera.

You don’t actually... have much to do. It was... weird. Out of your element. It was like... your mind and body couldn’t understand why there was no stress there. You were just sort of... existing. 

. . .

Yeah, this isn’t okay. You need something to keep yourself busy. Maybe you could go for a walk? Not to the trailer park or even Fuku’s. Just... anywhere. You turn your head to look out the single window. Your plans had never been foiled sooner, as you watch droplets lightly hitting the glass. Rain...  
How nice, actually. It wasn’t storming, just... raining. Very nice...

. . .

With another sigh, you lay back on your bed, removing the box to the end table. Maybe you’ll just try and nap. Doing nothing might be work in of itself, but you’ll be damned if you start overdoing it right before you’ll probably have to over-do it even more. You might not have the best self-control in the world, but this is one of those common sense moments. A nap would do fine. Even if it only lasts 30 minutes, it’s still something.

_ _ _

 

Sans’ POV

i hum thoughtfully, watching the rain come down steadily outside. not very many people came to small-town grocery stores too late at night. if there was anyone, they were either teenagers or monsters trying to avoid confrontation. that left myself to just sitting there waiting, reading, planning... whatever passed the time until the store closed. then, since i was getting in the extra hours all i could right now, i’d do any re-stocking or cleaning that was necessary before closing. of course, i don’t have the keys for the main door unless they are given to me with good reason. but they allowed me a backdoor key. that was all i needed. 

the rain was soothing. if i could, i’d take a nap right here and now. that wouldn’t do me any good. besides, i’ll get opportunities for that eventually. work was not the place to do it. no matter how much i really wanted to. looking out the store window, i could see my reflection. i did look kinda worn out. whatever, i’ll be fine. just less than a week and i finally get to relax a little. i’d do anything for papyrus. if he’s happy, then i’m doing something correctly, right? 

i’ll get to hang out with him again soon too. that’ll be nice, no matter how temporary it may be. and it wasn’t like i wanted to just dump all this on y/n either. i’m not just using her to work... okay, well, maybe in a way i am. but she was willing. not only that, but i also think it could be good for everyone in some way. papy and i get some time together, - not to mention a new ally in general - she gets some work experience and a fresh start, - or as fresh as it can get really - and i can finally take care of some non-work matters. 

she was trustworthy. i had checked her, just as i had been taught. she had only one LV, which was the starting Level Of ViolencE for all humans. i still find it weird that from birth humans are just born with the slightest ability to hurt others. but, humans were always kinda weird to other monsters, including me. 

anyway, yes. i consider her my friend. i found it hard to even think about lying when we were up on that roof, purely stargazing. i have no doubt that she had left that impression on my soul. though, i’m also curious if i had done the same on hers. by the sounds of it, somehow, i had. not sure how though. i should seriously look more into it sometime. she was... impressionable, i’ll say. 

it wasn’t the imprint itself. no, it was more the little things he sought out. the small talks we’d have together when it was just us. the way she joins in on those jokes of mine. and god knows the way you interacted with papyrus was a bonus - times a thousand. from what i can tell, she’s had no previous experience with kids. nothing substantial anyways. 

she said she’d been pretty lonely too. i’d be lying if i said i wasn’t a little bonely myself. yeah, papyrus is great. he’s the coolest bro anyone could ever ask for. just... sometimes ya need someone that’s on the same level with ya is all. someone who could hold those serious or emotional conversations. but also someone to laugh with and just feel generally good around? maybe i’m describing it strangely. i dunno. regardless, it was official that the both of us were pretty closed off in that area. 

any monster who could check me would be able to figure that out. 

but only if i allowed others to. she was pretty open, mostly because she was a human. one thing i remember recalling was that i wasn’t able to see her HP very clearly at all. like it was fuzzy and locked away. but, my magic wasn’t the best either. 

i’m jolted out of my thoughts when my alarm goes off. i look around for a moment, the store is empty. i take a deep breath before shutting off the alarm, heading toward the back room. the rest of the time at the store was filled with more internal debates and lots of sweeping and re-stocking fridges. things swirled around in my head so fast and thoughtfully. this situation was still new to me. and there was no doubt it was new to her too. it was just... a learning process. i’ll just... finish up with this last few packs of drinks- then head out. i’m mentally exhausted from all the worry and planning. just this afternoon i was able to figure out a basic schedule. however, it won’t be much without figuring out where y/n is gonna work at first.

i shake my head, shutting the fridge close with that normal sealing sound once the door connects with the frame. i need to just go home and go to sleep. i’ll be able to focus on one thing better - that is if i can manage to fall asleep at a better time. or at least, better than usual. so, i locked the back after grabbing my things and walked home. it was still raining, so i had to put my hood up. but other than that it was peaceful. i don’t trust my magic fully yet to take a shortcut. too risky. i need to get someone to help control it better. that was another thing on the list of to-do’s once this whole moving in process is settled down. 

it would benefit everyone a lot.

either way, the walk was okay. when i got home, it was quiet. papyrus was with dogamy and dogaressa again, spending the night. with a sigh, i took off my - now slightly wet - vest and tossed it over the back of the couch. i stare down the hallway a moment. should i go to my bed? probably just slightly more comfortable. darker. messier...  
“forget it,” i mumble to myself before flopping onto the couch with a squeak and a small thud. 

the ceiling was the same.   
the feeling of the couch underneath him was the same.   
and so was the smell of poverty. 

i kick off my sneakers with a yawn. long tedious day, meet small uncomfortable couch. i chuckle to myself, shutting my sockets closed tightly. i turn my head, opening my sockets once more. her camera sat on the table, broken as usual.

i recall messing with it briefly this morning. seeing what was truly damaged of it, and what was just casing or simply popped out. it didn’t look insanely bad, just must have fallen on the wrong part of the camera at exactly the point where it looks bad. of course, that wasn’t to say it would be easy. the thing had the occasional circuit loose- and the lens wasn’t looking too great. it would require an entirely new lens. 

this woke me back up enough to sit up again. i should sleep. the camera could wait just a couple more days.   
but... my gears were turning. i missed making things with his hands. i missed having some other goal besides survive. fix something? i’m good at fixing.

...i’ll work on just that, tonight.


	11. Bonus Chapter: The Fire in Her Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fuku's determined to do her best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...HI xD  
>  So, I'm back from chaos! Yay!
> 
> A lot of other stuff happened in between (more personal matters) but the main two reasons I did not update earlier is because:  
> 1\. I got really sick for about two or three weeks straight.  
> 2\. My laptop got fried and I lost a LOT of important stuff.
> 
> However, I'm back on my feet and ready to roll guys! I'm going to be working on chapters more often!
> 
> As for this chapter, it's nowhere near as long as actual chapters. Bonus chapters won't be as lengthy, but they provide a bit of a change in persepctive for all you awesome readers out there :P
> 
> Working on the next chapter though! It should NOT be a whole month and a half before the next update.
> 
> Enjoy~!

Fuku’s POV (3rd)

She walked out of the convenience store, carrying a bag with some tortilla chips and a can of cheese dip. She had run out of them both at home and was planning to take them with her while she worked on the hideout. The streets were beginning to become slightly less busy by the minute.

Of course, she didn’t get very far without hearing someone behind her.

“E-Excuse me?” a nervous voice rang out after her. She quickly whips around to see who had followed her out here. It very clearly wasn’t anyone that was a threat. It was a slim monster. A cat that was gripping onto his belongings for dear life, curiously looking her way. “Are you… Fuku? Fuku Fire?”

If Fuku could give the cat monster a soft smile, she would. “That’s me. Can… I help you?” 

He suddenly scrambles to pull something out of his bag. A piece of paper that appeared to be advertising something. Was… that her poster?

“I’m uh… I’m interested in… your group.” He says bashfully. He hands her the poster. She looks over it. This was indeed her poster. The one of a few she put up a few days ago for the club that she had been determined to start. “The Renegades”. Fuku looked up at the cat monster. “Oh! Really? I’m so glad!” She starts rummaging through her purse to find the form she made. 

In order to be considered a “Renegade,” you have to have certain requirements, of course. But, the standards were low. Especially right now. Besides, he looks like a nice guy who’s just looking for some friends. 

Finally, she finds one stuffed in the back of her binder. “Here. This has some questions that should be answered, plus our meeting spot.” She points to the little address at the bottom of the page. “I’ll be there anywhere from three to six. Just don’t expect too many people there just yet. We’ve just started…” 

The cat monster glances at the address, then smiles. “I-It’s that easy?”  
Fuku merely nods. 

He gives a small smile, then returns his gaze toward the green flame. “My name’s Frank. But, most people call me BP…” 

“BP? What’s it stand for?” She watches Frank fiddle with his paws, situating her bag on her shoulders once more. “Burger Pants…” He sighs.

“It’s… a long story.” She chuckles a little, but nods understandingly. 

“I’ll be seeing you around, BP!” She starts walking backward, waving to the cat monster with hope. He waves back, very clearly eager and yet thoughtful. 

From there, Fuku planned to make her way to her meeting spot. She was aware that it wasn’t exactly ready yet. Could use a bit of a touch up, but once it was finished it would be the perfect place to just hang out with friends. The idea of more than one friend was nice. 

Don’t get her wrong, she loves Y/n. But that girl was always keeping busy in some way or another, especially recently.

She had overheard her dad talking to someone on the phone about her parents. It wasn’t… the most positive conversation. Then again, it usually never was. 

And sure, she knows a few people here and there- but nothing could compare to actual friends. Not just associates or classmates.

Fuku’s green magic made a glow around her as she walked down the sidewalk. The cooler air was starting to kick in the later it got. Not winter level of cold, just breezy summer nights and evenings that cooled off the earth to prepare for tomorrow. 

She was thankful that she was not made of organic fire, like most fireplaces and lighters on the surface do. If so, it would have been a much larger hassle to find somewhere to live, to go to school, to touch most of anything, etc. 

But it’s all magic, as she was taught. 

Fuku looks up at the sky in a blissful thought for but a moment. The clouds were scattered about in a patterned way- and the sun was just beginning to set. Meaning the pretty colors of orange and pink would come out soon. Occasionally purple.

Soon enough, she’s walking up her road, passing Y/n’s home. Her bedroom lights are off. She must not be home. She’s not home nearly as often after… her little stunt a few years ago. Poor thing…

This town had a bad rep for judgement and weird upbringings. It’s a rather depressing town, really. Lot’s of mysterious deaths… targeted abductions… Very scary things. She… didn’t really like the town. But, she was sure no one liked it here. 

The flame monster could remember the scene like it was yesterday. She was so high up too…  
But Fuku shook her head and marched on forth. If she kept thinking about it, she’d never be able to move on. It happened, it almost ended in tragedy, but she failed and she’s here.

Whether she likes it or not… 

That thought was even more depressing.

Passing by not only her own home, but a few others, she finally stumbled upon the hiking entrance. Nobody ever hikes on it really. It’s usually just where some teenagers tend to hide out and do… questionable things. 

She walked in, trees beginning to envelope around her. The trail went on for only a mile or two. She didn’t bother to walk that far anyway. She didn’t need to. Fuku, watching the earthy trail that she took every step on, waited to find her marker. She had found the place by complete coincidence.

She stopped once she found the old shoelace that she’d wrapped around the bottom of a tree. From there, she looked back up and started walking off-trail, directly behind said tree. It wasn’t far from here, now. It was pretty remote and away from prying eyes or ears.

Just up ahead, kind of hidden by the vines overtaking it, was a shack. It was completely abandoned, and definitely worn down. Over the past week, Fuku had been working to fix it up as much as she can. Though, it would help if she had… well… help. 

She stops at the door, opening it’s rusted knob. The door squeaks as it opens, and inside it looks just a little better than the outside. The outside is mainly rusted hinges and old, rotting wood with plant-life taking over the majority of it. The windows were covered up, so not much light could poke through.

The inside was a bit better, thanks to her.

She had provided one of her old rugs to lay on the floor to add some temporary color, a cork board and a whiteboard as well. And she made sure that there weren’t any nests of any kind hanging about.

If she could, she would replace all the old planks that have had the worst of it in the flooring. However, she doesn’t have the money to get said planks. Mainly, the walls were better than the flooring. Because of the plants life covering them up, it helps to protect the wood from too much rotting. 

She gives a small sigh, then places her chips and purse onto the small writing desk in there.  
It was something to keep her busy for the summer, that was for sure.  
Fuku is determined to do her best.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Bookmark to have easy access to the book,  
> Leave a Kudos if you liked it,  
> and leave a comment telling me what you think!
> 
> Thank you, SG! For agreeing to work with me on this! You're the best!
> 
> Take care of yourself, 'cause somebody really cares about you~!
> 
> Wanna see my lonely af Tumblr page?
> 
> ...
> 
> Why?
> 
>  
> 
> Check me out: https://tooobsessedformyowngood.tumblr.com


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